November has been proclaimed as Manatee Awareness Month, but how much do you know about this odd sea creature? Chances are that if you don't live in Florida, then not much. So let's examine the manatee, often referred to as a sea cow, and get acquainted with the wonderfully slow, sweet creature.
For starters, they get pretty big! When grown, the manatee is about 10 to 12 feet in length, weighs about 1,500 to 1,800 pounds and has a good life span in the wild of 50 to 60 years, according to Defenders of Wildlife. No wonder they are referred to as sea cows; they are cow-sized, which is no surprise when you learn they are relatives of the elephant.
The Florida manatee is endangered as they face several threats. Manatees start searching for warm water shelters as the temperatures start to dip around November, and this is where a lot of their troubles begin.
They are subject to getting tangled in nets and anything else in the water. Marine Mammal Biologist Dr. Ann Spellman and Manatee Specialist Wayne Hartley discuss how this happens and the effects on these sweet creatures in a wonderful video by Adopt A Manatee. Information is available at Save the Manatee Club.
The slow-moving sea creatures are subject to collisions with watercraft, which is their leading cause of death.
Florida residents and visitors are asked to go slow in manatee-prone areas and be aware at all times. Notice the signs along the waterways so you can avoid a collision with these sweet sea cows. They are simply too slow-moving to get out of the way.
"Manatees can't tolerate cold water," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Carli Segelson said, according to WFSU. "So, they start to seek warmer water, and therefore, they're more active at this time. So, the Manatee Awareness Month brings that to people's attention."
"So, one of those things is to wear polarized sunglasses, so you can see below the surface of the water, and certainly, observe any speed zones," she added.
Segelson said that they do wish for people to be able to enjoy the manatees, but the public is asked to be respectful of the endangered species and enjoy them from a distance.
