In Florida, you have the opportunity to see a truly unique species of marine mammal that inhabits our waterways. Manatees are large, gray, torpedo-shaped mammals with leathery looking skin similar to an elephant's. The manatee has a set of flippers, a paddle-shaped tail and a whiskered face. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long. Often referred to as "sea cows" because of their grazing habits. West Indian manatees are found throughout peninsular Florida. The manatee is a federal-listed, endangered species and is protected by federal and state laws.

Florida provides manatees the warm, subtropical climate and estuarine habits needed for their survival. These mammals generally cannot endure temperatures below 66 degrees for extended periods of time, and the natural springs and warm water discharges from power plants provide refuges necessary during the colder months of the year.

Where Do Manatees Live?

Manatees live in many places. During most of the year, the animals may be found in fresh or saltwater, preferring calmer rivers, estuaries, bays and canals. In the winter, the mammals seek warmer waters and often aggregate in the discharge areas near power plants and natural warm water springs. Boaters should avoid manatee habitat areas and slow down when traveling in known manatee travel corridors.

Manatees, because of their large size, are easy to use as barometers for habitat protection. In order for manatees to survive, their habitat must survive as well. By protecting the seagrass areas and maintaining the water quality necessary for their survival, a healthy marine life population will flourish. Manatees, sea turtles, game fish and other animals dependant on seagrasses will be the recipients of your concerned support of their environment.

Who was here first- Man or Manatee?

Forty-five-million-year old fossils of animals in the manatee family have been found in Florida. Prehistoric Indians in Florida used ceremonial pipes in the form of manatees, and manatee bones have been found at sites where ancient Indians lived in southeastern Florida. Pre-Colombian Indians occasionally hunted manatees for meat, but manatees were probably not a regular part of their diet.

Comments from writers in the early part of the nineteenth century suggest that manatees were "found in large numbers" and were "remarkably abundant". Several writers in the 1800's describe the netting and shooting of manatees by Indians. Pioneers who arrived during the nineteenth century shot manatees for meat, oil and hides.

In 1893, laws were passed to protect manatees in Florida by making hunting of manatees illegal. However, manatee pouching was common in parts of Florida during the Depression and World War II due to the shortage of other meat. The first report of manatee deaths due to collisions with boats was in 1943.

There are two subspecies of the West Indian manatee: the Florida manatee (Trickeckus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trickeckus manatus manatus). The Florida manatee is confined mainly to Florida. Summer ranges extent up the Atlantic east coast (with one sighting as far north as Rhode Island) and along the Gulf Coast as far west as Louisiana and Texas. The Antillean manatee inhabits the Caribbean and South and Central American areas. The West Indian manatee is the only North American representative of the Order Sirenia, with a genetic makeup and behavior all its own.

Is the manatee population increasing or decreasing?