FLORIDA MANATEE

If you thought that clear blue skies, crystal clear blue water and white sparkling sand are all that Florida’s beaches have to offer by way of a visual treat, then you’re in for a very big surprise! Inhabiting the shallows of Florida's rivers and coastal areas are the amazing Manatee’s or sea cows, as they are popularly known. The Manatees are huge, plant-eating marine mammals, weighing around 3000 pounds and can be even fifteen feet long.  The manatees are gentle, slow-moving creatures that inhabit the shallow waters of Florida during the winter months. Visitors from all over the world come to watch this captivating, huge herbivorous mammal in captivity and even in the wild.  

 

Wildlife sanctuaries, springs and warm water sites are where the manatees like to laze around during the winter months. Their appearances are deceptive for despite their mammoth size, the manatees have very little body fat as their bodies are mostly made up of muscles and intestine. This lack of fat makes them susceptible to the cold.

 

However, as the weather gets hotter the manatees are inclined to spread out. They can then be found as far to the west as Louisiana, and in Virginia and the Carolinas in the north. Manatee migration in North Florida is seasonal and is mainly due to changes in water temperature. The manatees’ need for fresh or low salinity drinking water is another reason for their migration toward South Florida. This little-known mammal is now considered to have made its appearance on Earth about 50 to 60 million years ago, around the same time as the more famous dinosaurs. The geological time scale for the Earth is said to be three-and-a-half billion years. The period of time when manatees appeared is known as the Eocene.

 

The manatees are an interesting specimen and are a stark reminder of the evolution of animals and human beings on earth. Like us, they too breathe in air through their nostrils. But their lungs go right through the length of their body cavity, allowing them to remain submerged for up to 20 minutes in water. Their bodies are akin to that of seals and taper off to a powerful tail. They feed themselves with the help of their two forelimbs, which are complete with even toenails. Another interesting fact is that these manatees consume approximately 100-150 lbs of vegetation daily. This makes up about 10-15% of their body weight!

 

To watch the manatees from close quarters, do visit the Homosassa Springs State Park. It boasts an underwater viewing area at the main spring and offers three educational programs daily. Note that an entrance fee is required.

 

The three manatee rehabilitation facilities -- Lowry Zoo, The Miami Seaquarium and Sea World -- are definitely worth a visit. If you wish to investigate about these captivating creatures, educational kiosks are also available. A nominal entrance fee is required. Also do not forget to catch a glimpse of Snooty, the oldest captive manatee in Florida at the Parker Manatee Aquarium!

 

Another interesting place to watch the manatees is the Blue Springs State Park. This is a popular wintering spot for Florida manatees in the St. Johns River in Volusia County. A distinctive feature of this park is that most of the manatees here are recognizable by their unique scar patterns. Manatees can also be occasionally spotted at Fanning Springs State Recreation and Conservation Area, particularly Big Fanning Spring. They can also be found up and down the Suwannee River.

 

You can also visit the Lee County Manatee Park during the winter as the manatees use the discharge canal as a warm water site. You can rent a canoe and cruise down the Wakulla River or the St. Marks River, enjoy the spectacular scenic beauty, and also spot the manatees during the summer months.

 

It is sad that this relic of the past may soon vanish from the face of the earth as the increasing population has greatly affected its natural habitats. Manatees also fall prey to speedboats. Floridians are increasingly trying to save the manatees from extinction, which now receive legal protection as an endangered species. Please give the manatees the space they deserve, do not attempt to surround or feed them and watch them through binoculars or zoom lenses from a distance. It is only if today’s generation ‘watch’ the manatees from a distance that future generations would be lucky enough to ‘see’ them!

 

MANATEE LAWS AND REGULATIONS

The following rules and regulations have been put in place to help protect the manatee and their natural environment. Failure to heed these regulations will result in you being fined or arrested by local, state, and/or federal authorities. It is entirely possible to have a fantastic manatee encounter within these regulations:

 

v     Do NOT enter designated/posted sanctuaries for any reason!

v     Do NOT pursue/chase (swimming after) or corner a manatee while swimming or diving. This includes following manatees for any reason.

v     Do NOT disturb a resting manatee. Sleeping manatees sometimes rest in a "face-plant" on the river bottom, rising for air every few minutes. It is unlawful to interfere with these normal activities.

v     Do NOT attempt to feed the manatees or give them water. Doing so may make the manatee associate food and water with humans, endangering the manatee,

v     Do NOT attempt to ride, poke, prod, or grab the manatee at any time with any object including your hand or foot.

v     Do NOT attempt to single out or surround a manatee.

v     Do NOT attempt to separate a calf from it's mother, or any manatee from a group of manatees.