I’ve been captivated by manatees for as long as I can remember! Can you blame me though? From their lovable faces to their playful personalities these adorable aquatic mammals are sure to melt your heart! If you ever wanted to learn more about these amazing creatures, you’re in luck. Keep reading to get your daily dose of manatee fun facts!
To get things rolling, there are three different species of manatee: the Amazonian manatee, the West Indian manatee (the manatees that migrate to Florida), and the West African manatee. Both the West Indian and West African manatees spend their time in salty and fresh water. Manatees are warm blooded so they need to follow the warm waters or they experience health problems similar to hypothermia in humans. During the winter months, the West Indian manatees migrate into the Florida springs to keep warm. How are these mammals able to exist in both ecosystems you ask? Well, their kidneys are largely responsible for filtering out the salt in the water to keep hydrated and allowing them to stay comfortable in the salty waters.
Manatees are playfully nicknamed sea cows, due to their slow gentle nature and their love of eating plants. Their diet consists of munching on seagrass, mangrove leaves and algae. Crazily enough, they eat about 10% of their body weight a day which is estimated to be about 120 pounds of foliage per adult manatee!
And even though they are known for their pudgy exteriors, these sea cows are more muscle than blubber. They are also one of a handful of animals that have a smooth brain! Which makes them even more lovable as they’re just like super buff floaty potatoes.
Manatee flippers have fingernail-like tips similar to elephant toenails, which makes sense since they are the closest living relatives of elephants.
Manatees can float up through water with ease. Their lungs are mostly responsible for that, as they extend about 3 feet along the length of their spine. Since Manatees are mammals, they go to the water’s surface to breathe every three to five minutes and at rest they can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.
Manatees have no natural predators in the wild, but humans are the main threat to their survival with boat collisions being the biggest danger they face. With an average speed of just 3-5 miles per hour, they’re too slow to avoid fast-moving boats. While manatees can live over 60 years in captivity, wild ones typically only make it to their early 20s. That’s why it’s so important to protect these incredible sea creatures.
Did you know that you can actually swim with manatees? It’s the best way to observe and get to know these wonderful creatures! If you’re interested in planning a trip I recommend this article to get you started!
