All About Our Weeki Wachee Manatees!
Florida Manatees or “Sea Cows” , also known as the West Indian Manatees are gentle giants who roam the rivers of Weeki Wachee and make friends (distantly) with those they encounter. Here are some fun facts you probably didn’t know about manatees:
-The manatee’s closest relative is an Elephant!
-The average adult manatee weighs between 800 and 1200 pounds and is about 10ft in length.
-You will find manatees in shallower, more slow-moving waters like rivers, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas. They especially love places where seagrass or freshwater vegetation grows abundantly. For Florida, we tend to see them more in the winter months.
-Most of a manatee’s time will be spent eating, resting and swimming. They are herbivores and therefor eat aquatic plants, or underwater vegetation.
-Since manatees are mammals, like us, they need to surface to get air every 3-5 minutes, unless it is a more active day, where they may surface as much as every 30 seconds. When sleeping, they can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes!
-Manatees can swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts, but that’s probably only if something scary is chasing them. Their typical speed is about 3-5mph.
-West Indian manatees have no enemies, so they can live 60 years or more. Most manatee deaths are from boaters who don’t see them, cold stress, gastrointestinal diseases, which come from consuming fish hooks, litter and other human related causes, pneumonia and other diseases.
-Manatees in the U.S.A are protected by law (Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the Endagered Species Act of 1973). These laws make it illegal to hunt, harass, capture or kill marine mammals.
-If you do encounter a manatee while swimming or boating, be sure not to poke or prod them with your hands, feet, or objects. If the manatee avoids you, no need to chase them. Just let them go where they are going. Avoid feeding them, and do not isolate them from their group if swimming with more manatees or calves.
Remember to respect the nature around you as this is their home. Make sure any trash is not left in the water.
Enjoy Experiencing Weeki!
