Save A Manatee
Manatees are one of Florida’s most amazing sea mammals, but they are under threat because of collisions with boats. Join us and help save the manatee by ‘adopting’ one through the Florida Manatee Club which was founded by Jimmy Buffet. You can learn more by visiting SaveTheManatee.org
Manatees sometimes known as sea cows are noted for their friendly nature. They are up to 4 meter size and have paddle-like flippers. The name manatí comes from the Taino, a pre-Columbian people of the Caribbean meaning “breast”.
Half a manatee’s day is spent sleeping in the water, surfacing for air regularly at intervals no greater than 20 minutes. Manatees spend most of the rest grazing in shallow waters at depths of 1–2 metres (3.3–6.6 ft). The Florida subspecies has been known to live up to 60 years.
Swimming
On average, manatees swim at about 5 to 8 kilometres per hour (3.1 to 5.0 mph). However, they have been known to swim at up to 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) in short bursts.
Intelligence
Manatees are capable of understanding discrimination tasks, and show signs of complex associated learning and advanced long term memory. They demonstrate complex discrimination and task-learning similar to dolphins in acoustic and visual studies.
Reproduction
Manatees typically breed once every two years, gestation lasts about 12 months, and it takes a further 12 to 18 months to wean the calf. Only a single calf is born at a time and aside from mothers with their young or males following a receptive female, manatees are generally solitary creatures.
It’s important we keep these wonderful creatures alive…do your bit.
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