We Can Recover!
A short reason why we need to save the manatees.
Have you ever seen a manatee in Florida? Well, your window of opportunity is closing. Manatees have been dying out by... get this- humans. Speaking of which, did you know that you can be arrested for harassing a manatee?
Mean To Manatees
People have been abusing manatees when they go to Florida spring break trips. Here is an actual case regarding the manatee abuse:
On February 19, 2013- Ryan Waterman posted photos of him holding and petting a manatee calf. The man was later arrested. Biologists say the contact can kill the animal. Now, I want you to be honest and answer me one question. Is it really worth it?
Ryan Waterman holds a manatee calf out of the water.
Ryan Waterman holds his daughter's hand as she pets the baby manatee.
Ryan Waterman's daughter chases after the manatee calf as it swims away.
Meet The Manatee
I have told you all of this and you may not even know what a manatee is. If that is you I suggest you read on. The manatee is surprisingly a warm-blooded mammal. Since the mammal lives in the water at all times it is qualified to be a siren. Mythical mermaids are also in this group. Now, you may be thinking the manatee is a very bland, boring group. You are right. The manatee is divided into three different species. Four if you count the one that is currently being debated, called the Dwarf manatee. The completely decided manatees are the Florida manatees, the West African manatees, and the Amazonian manatees. Not so boring now, huh?
Manatee Munch!
Manatees are herbivores. That means they only eat plants they find on the sea floor. They eat sea weed, moss, and other things we may find a little gross compared to our diets. You probably know that these guys don't just grow huge over night. It takes a lot of food to do it. In fact, they have to eat 10-15% of their weight each day to live! Just think about eating that much spinach salad a DAY!
Fast Swimmers?
The manatee lives in water. So, does that mean that they are super fast swimmers? Let's find out! Most manatees usually swim at five miles an hour. But, in a dangerous situation, they can swim up to fifteen miles an hour. Manatees are usually seen swimming alone, although they are seen with manatee calves here and then.
Home Sweet Home!
Manatees live in warm water temperatures. They live in the Coastal areas of Florida. Did you know that temperatures lower than 68 degrees can be fatal for manatees. What area do manatees live in? You may be asking. Well, it isn't the ocean! It is.... The rivers or lakes! That means that when you go motor boating you need to watch out for them.
Majestic Majasties?
Manatees are very beautiful creatures. They swim as if they are flying. They are very gentle giants and care for their young better than you would expect for a wild animal to. They have big flippers and flap them with incredible care. They are even curious about what boats are and how humans live. Many sailors actually believed they saw mermaids when really they just see manatees! Can you believe how insane that is? I personally can't. It is just so crazy. So, many people have taken a liking to calling them a mermaid. I personally have. Do you want the mermaids to die out?
People Predators
Manatees don't have any real predators, but they do have some common enemies. People usually accuse sharks and gators for killing them, but they are the least to their worries.People actually are the real reason of manatee death. They hit them with motor boats or cause wake when, again, boating. Also people put harmful oils on the manatees skin when petting them or doing what is illegal. We can stop this though. We don't have to let ourselves be the cause of extinction!
We Can Save Them!
The manatee isn't completely died out...YET. They are really close to it though! We, as people need to stop polluting and need to stop harassing. If we do those things and look out for them, we can stop the dying. We are the people that will stop it! In addition to doing the earlier stated things and just backing up to admire them, we can save them. You just have to help.