WHAT ARE MANATEES?
Manatees are huge marine mammals that can grow to be over 14 feet in length and can weigh over 3,000 pounds. They have two flippers and a paddle-shaped tail that help them swim at a leisurely pace.
Manatees play a very important role as marine herbivores. They help manage plant growth in shallow waters, by consuming up to ten percent of their body mass daily. They have a very full circle niche in their ecosystem whereby they consume other invasive plant species and their excretion helps fertilize plants to grow.
Manatees are delicate and calm marine mammals, so even human touch can alter their behavior. Any human disturbance can severely impact their nature and lead them to become more vulnerable. According to the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, “It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee.”
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The West Indian Manatees were listed as threatened on March 11, 1967 mainly in the Southeast region of the United States.
GEOGRAPHY OF THE WEST INDIAN MANATEE
This specific type of manatee is found in many countries, including the Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Tobago, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Venezuela.
In the United States, this species is found in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
West Indian Manatees were historically located along the Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States and Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, reaching Brazil’s coast. Today, manatees have been displaced from their homes in Guadalupe and in the Lesser Antilles.
Manatees are commonly found off the Florida coast because of the warmer temperatures caused by natural springs.
Map depicting the range of the West Indian Manatee.
Image by Jane Cooke, USFWS.