Manatees at Sea World

Facts about Manatees

by Jan

I saw my first Manatee at Sea World in Orlando. I was fascinated by the slow, graceful creature that filled the glass before me. I had seen manatees on the TV but seeing them in person was an experience of great beauty.

So what are Manatees? Sea World's Educational Site is full of all kinds of facts that I didn't know.

Manatees are mammals of the Sirenia order. This order of mammals was named after the Greek mythological creatures called Sirens who were half female, half fish and lured sailors to their death with their melodious songs.

The manatee family is Trichechidae. There are three families of manatees still living. One, the Stiller's Cow, has been hunted out of existence. One family dwells in West India (includes the Florida manatee), one in the Amazon River and one in West Africa. The cranial bones distinguish each family.

All like warm tropical waters. Manatees range as far North as Virginia up the Atlantic coast and as far West as the mouth of the Mississippi.

Manatees are huge creatures who spend about 6 to 8 hours feeding to support their bulky 3500 pound-at-maturity bodies. They spend about 2 to 12 hours resting. Never aggressive, the manatee interacts with other manatees as often as they find their own kind. One of their favorite *games* is follow-the-leader which I observed at Sea World in Florida. The smaller female kept the group moving swiftly through the water as they tried to keep up with her. She *raced* around that pool and seemed know she was making me smile.

Manatees are long-lived creatures--50 to 60 years. The most common non-human cause of death is old age, parasites and cold weather. The most common causes of Human related deaths are boating accidents, Floodgates and Poaching. Manatee deaths doubled from 200 in 1995 to 400 in 1996.

Educating the public is the most important thing we can do to support the Manatee's fight for survival. Sea World and other Marine parks have rescued and returned many manatees to the wild, but they need help to educate the public about how to avoid Manatee areas and support legislation to save the manatee and all its cousins throughout the world. The Adopt A Manatee program is just one of many designed to raise money for this effort.