Not too long ago one of our faithful readers mentioned the similarities between a Dugong and a Manatee.  At the same time it was pointed out that we did not yet have a Wild Fact on the beloved “Gentle Giant”, the Manatee.  Today all of that changes as we are once again heading to the ocean to learn about the beautiful Manatee.   More specifically we will need to go to the warmer waters only in the eastern hemisphere, which means a road trip to Florida and the Caribbean! So grab your things, grab your friends and pile in the car…….SHOTGUN!

The Manatee is also known as a Sea Cow, which makes sense if you consider their leisurely, lazy pace is equivalent to a cow in the pasture.  They may seem to live a care-free life but they are actual very graceful swimmers.  In fact once they get that large tail moving they can swim up to 24 km/hr (15 mph), however, they usually prefer to cruise around at 8 km/hr (5 mph).  This is pretty fast for an animal that is 2.4 – 4 m (8 – 13′) long and can weigh up to 600 kg (1300 lbs).  I guess once the Manatee gets their weight behind them, there is no stopping that momentum.

The social life of the Manatee is quite varied as they are usually seen alone, in pairs or in small group of six or fewer animals.  I guess they aren’t that much different than us. You have your bachelors, lovebirds in a committed relationship and then the family Man…atee.  No matter the style of life the Manatee is living they never actually leave the water.  As a result you will often just see their noses sticking above the surface of the water.  This is just enough to get them a nice gulp of fresh air. When the Manatee is on the move they will need to surface every three to four minutes; however, when they are resting they can stay submerged for up to fifteen minutes.

Manatee Fast Fact – It is believed that the Manatee is actually responsible for the legend of the Mermaid.  In fact in West Africa they are sacred so you would be considered a sinner for killing one.  The folks in South America didn’t share the same sentiment as they used the Manatee for their meat and bones. For the record, I have a tough time mistaking Ariel, the Little Mermaid, for a Manatee!

Well that does it for our trip to Florida and the Caribbean.  Time to head home…..SHOTGUN!  Ha, I beat you to it again!  Have a good one, folks.  Actually, before you go, check out this 4 minute video clip showing the care-free, grace of a swimming Manatee.