West Indian Manatee

The species of Trichechus manatus, more commonly known as the West Indian Manatee, or locally called the “sea cow” is a large, grey aquatic mammal that can reach up to 13 feet long, in the family of trichechidae. They can live up to 70 years, have a flat paddle-shaped tail, and two flippers with 3 nails on each. The West Indian Manatee is a migratory mammal with no natural predators, so it isn’t that threatened in the food chain. Besides this, pollution has caused this species to become endangered. It is believed there are between 3,000 and 13,000 of them left. The most common cause of death for these manatees are ship and speedboat collisions.

West Indian Manatees can be found in both salt and fresh water, wherever there is seagrass. They cannot survive in areas under 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius) for very long, so they usually live in warm areas. The sea cow’s main food is seagrass, and this is important since it keeps the seagrass beds at a nice, healthy length. This seagrass must get to them, because they weigh up to 1300 pounds; more than a piano! They can even swim up to 15 miles an hour! People must have been very interested in this because in west Africa it is believed that manatees were once human, and if you killed one you would acquire a punishment similar to one you would get if you killed a human.

Crystal River, known for being a safe haven for manatees, holding hundreds of manatees (a lot for them being endangered), is home to some interesting stories about manatees. For example, a tourist was met with a strange occurrence when a 10 foot long sea cow swam next to them and started gnawing on the algae of their ship. The manatee then rolled over, seemingly waved to the tourist, then left. On the same day, the tourist saw a gigantic mother manatee with her calf next to her. The mother made eye contact with the tourist, had a moment of connection, and quickly swam away with her calf at her side.

See our infographic about manatees and the estuary here.

Try our manatee crossword puzzle here.