U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus

Introduction Christopher Columbus was the first European to report seeing a manatee in the New World. To Columbus, and other sailors who had been at sea for a long time, manatees were reminiscent of mermaids—the mythical half-fish, half-woman creatures of the ocean. Manatees are not fish, however, but marine mammals. Range and Description The West Indian manatee— sometimes called sea cow—is found along the coast of Florida and in the Caribbean. Most adult manatees are about 10 feet long and weigh 800 to 1,200 pounds, although some larger than 12 feet and weighing as much as 3,500 pounds have been recorded. These “gentle giants” have tough,

wrinkled brown-to-gray skin that is USFWS continuously being sloughed off. Hair Manatee cow and calf is distributed sparsely over the body. With stiff whiskers around its mouth, the manatee’s face looks like a walrus environments. They prefer large, Manatees communicate with each without tusks. slow-moving rivers, river mouths, other by emitting underwater and shallow coastal areas such as sounds that are audible to humans. Behavior and Diet coves and bays. The animals may The vocalizations, which sound like The manatee maneuvers through travel great distances as they squeaks and squeals, are especially the water moving its paddle-like migrate between winter and summer important for maintaining contact tail up and down and steering with grounds. During the winter, manatees between mother and calf. One field its flippers. It is very agile for congregate around warm springs and report described a mother and her such a large animal, sometimes around power plants that discharge calf, separated by a flood gate, calling somersaulting and doing barrel rolls warm water. During summer months, to each other for three hours without in the water. they have occasionally been seen as interruption until they were reunited. far north as Virginia and Maryland. The manatee often rests suspended Threats just below the water’s surface Manatees reach breeding maturity Manatees face many threats to their with only the snout above water. It between 3 and 10 years of age. The survival throughout their range. feeds underwater, but must surface gestation period is approximately Historically, they were hunted for periodically to breathe. Although the 13 months. Calves may be born at their flesh, bones, and hide. Manatee manatee can remain underwater for any time during the year. Usually fat was used for lamp oil, bones were as long as 12 minutes, the average a single calf is born, but twins do used for medicinal purposes, and time is 4-1/2 minutes. occur. An adult manatee will usually hides were used for leather. Hunting give birth to a calf every 2 to 5 years. is thought to be largely responsible Manatees are herbivores, a term that The low reproductive rate makes the for the initial decline of the species; means they eat only plants. They species less capable of rebounding however, hunting is no longer allowed consume 4 to 9 percent of their body from threats to its survival. Newborn in countries where manatees are weight each day—that’s 32 pounds calves weigh 60 to 70 pounds and protected. of plants for an 800-pound animal! To are 4 to 4-1/2 feet long. They nurse do this, manatees spend 5 to 8 hours underwater for about three minutes Today, the greatest threats to a day eating—typically non-native at a time from a nipple located behind manatee survival are collisions with water hyacinths and hydrilla, along their mother’s forelimb. Born with boats and, in Florida, loss of warm with native aquatic plants such as teeth, calves begin eating plants water habitat. Vallisneria or eelgrass. within a few weeks but remain with their mother for up to 2 years. Speeding boats can injure and kill Manatees move between fresh- Manatees may live for several manatees that are submerged just water, brackish, and saltwater decades. below theJanuary surface. 1998 Manatees that survive such encounters carry a challenge because of poor of its range. The manatee also is distinctive scars. In fact, biologists visibility or murky water. Aerial protected at the Federal level under studying the species use the scars surveys in Florida have counted up to the Marine Mammal Protection Act as ways of identifying individual 3,300 manatees statewide. In Puerto of 1972. animals. As a conservation measure, Rico, the population is estimated at many areas now post speed-limit between 150 and 350 animals. A vital component of the Service’s signs for boats or prohibit them recovery efforts is increasing public completely. Biologists use radio-tracking to awareness and cooperation among study individual manatees, locate and boaters, skin divers, fishermen, the The loss of natural springs as a result assess habitat use areas, and learn power industry, and anyone else of the increasing demands on water about migratory patterns. using the rivers and coastal waters usage from development pressure, where manatees live. With growing and the potential loss of warm water As long ago as 1893, Florida passed awareness and positive action, the from power plants that are eventually a law to protect this marine mammal. manatee can be saved for generations shut down, could limit the available Since 1907, there has been a $500 fine to come. habitat for manatees in the future. for any person who kills or harms a Biologists are working to secure manatee. In 1978, Florida designated Service National Wildlife Refuges sources of warm water for manatees the entire State as a “refuge and (NWR) in Florida, Georgia, Texas, in Florida to eliminate this future sanctuary for manatees” through and Puerto Rico where the West threat. the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. Indian manatee is known to occur: This law allows the State to designate Flood gates and canal locks can kill manatee sanctuaries and establish • Ace Basin NWR manatees either by crushing them speed zones for boats. • Blackbeard Island NWR or drowning them; however, recent • Chassahowitzka NWR modifications of operating procedures The Fish and Wildlife Service • Crystal River NWR have reduced the number of fatalities may also designate refuges and • Harris Neck NWR from this source. sanctuaries for manatees, especially • Island Bay NWR important during the winter in • J. N. “Ding” Darling NWR Fishing line and other trash providing safe areas with warm water • Lake Woodruff NWR discarded into the water are for these marine mammals. • Lower Suwannee NWR responsible for a small number of • Matlacha Pass NWR manatee deaths each year. Federal manatee sanctuaries are • Merritt Island NWR areas where boats are seasonally • Pelican Island NWR Natural events also imperil manatees. prohibited, and Federal manatee • Pine Island NWR Because manatees cannot survive refuges are areas where boating • Pinellas NWR long in cold water, unusually cold activity is restricted. One example of • Savannah-Pinckney NWR winters in Florida pose a serious a Federal manatee refuge is Crystal • St. Mark’s NWR threat. As the water temperature River National Wildlife Refuge, • Ten Thousand Islands NWR drops below 60°F, manatees become established in 1983 on Florida’s west • Vieques NWR sluggish and stop eating. Young coast specifically for the protection of • Wolf Island NWR. manatees are especially susceptible manatees. to the effects of cold temperatures. In 1967, under a law that preceded U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Periodic red tide blooms have also the Endangered Species Act of Endangered Species Program been associated with a number of 1973, the manatee was listed as an 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420 manatee deaths. The microorganisms endangered species, meaning it is Arlington, VA 22203 associated with red tide produce a considered in danger of extinction 703-358-2390 toxin that can kill manatees if the throughout all or a significant portion http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ animals breathe them or eat them. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Harassment of manatees from skin Southeast Region divers, fishermen, and boaters can 1875 Century Boulevard, N. E. interrupt feeding and breeding. Atlanta, Georgia 30345 During the winter, manatees may be 404-679-7100 driven into cooler water where they http://www.fws.gov/southeast/ are susceptible to disease and cold stress. February 2008 The species has difficulty rebounding from all of these threats because of its late breeding maturity and its low reproductive rate. As a result of conservation and protection measures now in place, however, the status of manatee populations in Florida and Puerto Rico is improving. Recovery Manatee population counts are usually conducted from airplanes. Playing with a crab trap

Obtaining an exact figure is USFWS