 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
| Manatees |
| Manatee's are also know as 'sea cows'. These are gentle giants and are purely herbivores. They are a tropical and subtropical species and are susceptible to cold-related disease. The manatees that are seen along the coast of Florida are West Indian manatees. |
| This page is all about our 'Gentle Giants' of the sea. |
| Watercraft-related manatee mortality is the leading identified cause of manatee death in Florida. Most concerning is the fact that watercraft collisions is the leading cause of death of adult, reproductive age, manatees. Large mammals like the manatee, which have a potential life span and slow reproductive rate, normally have a low adult mortality rate. More than 770,000 boats were registered in Florida for the 1995-96 season...Due to their dark color and because they are slow swimmers, manatees are difficult to see in the water ...At least 22% of manatee deaths in Florida occur from water craft accidents yearly. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| The average adult manatee is 10 feet long and weights 1,000 -1,200 pounds. However, manatees can grow to reach a length of 13 feet and weight of approximately 3,000 pounds. |
| The manatee is generally a very curious animal, and often seems to seek playful activity with man and inanimate objects. They like to scratch themselves on poles, boat bottoms, and ropes. The touch, bump, scratch, roll over, and behave in ways that humans find irresistibly charming. |
 |
| HOME |
| Manatees tend to stay in shallow, slow-moving rivers, bays, estuaries, and coastal water ecosystems .......because these areas offer the manatee everything it needs to survive: warm water, shelter, food and breeding areas. |
 |
| During the winter.............. cold temperatures keep the manatee population concentrated in peninsular Florida. Cold affects manatees when the temperature fails below 68 degrees fahreheit. Large numbers of manatees can usually be found near warm-water sources, such as naturl springs or near power plants with warm water discharge. |
| During the summer.......... the manatees can be found as far west as Louisiana and as far north as Virginia and the Carolina's. In the summer months, manatees range throughout the coastal waters, estuaries, bays, and rivers of both coasts of Florida. They are usually found in small groups. |
| There are approximately 2,500 manatees living in Florida waters based on annual state-wide synopitc aerial surveys. Manatees are protected by the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Thus, manatees are protected on the federal level. They are also protected by state and local regulations. In spite of the fact that manatees are legally protected, poachers and vandals are also responsible for manatee deaths. In some areas manatees are hunted for food. Others are victims of harassment. Pursuing or harassing the manatees constitutes a breech of federal endangered-species protection laws, and is punishable by heavy fines. |