First off, there are many types of manatees, but I will specifically be talking about the West Indian Manatee.West Indian Manatees are generally found off Florida's coast. They live in the Gulf of Mexico and The Atlantic Ocean right near the coast. This is a problem, because boats are harming Manatees extensively, due to the fact that Manatees and boats occupy the same area. (1,3)
Manatees are very large animals, they are related to the elephant and known as the sea cow. They can be 10-12 feet long and weigh 1500-1800 pounds. They are gray/brown in color and have front flippers that help them swim and crawl in the shallow water that they live in. Manatees are mammals, even though they are water animals. They are also herbivores, mainly eating marine plants and algae. (1,3)
Manatees live in shallow water, and need the water to be warm to survive. If there is a cold winter, populations often go to power plants or south where the water is warmer. This is also a problem because as the manatees go south, the water gets deeper and unsafe for them. The power plants are problematic as well because the machinery is unsafe for the animals. (3)
http://www.theanimalfiles.com/images/west_indian_manatee_1.jpg
It interesting that when they are cold they go near power plants. How do the power plants keep them warm??
ReplyDeleteI know this from reading this and because when I was little, manatees were my favorite animal, so when I went to visit my grandparents one winter in Florida we drove to an oceanside power plant and there were about 40 manatees in the area. While producing power, heat energy is given off and the water warms up. It isn't the safest spot for manatees, but they are able to warm up because they can not survive in any kind of cold water.
ReplyDeleteAre there any organizations that are trying to move the manatees to a different location so that they won't be harmed by all the boats?
ReplyDeleteI never knew that manatees were related to the elephant.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that there were different types of manatees, and i had not realized they lived so close to home. i would like to know if there are any regulations that help the manatee to survive better living so closely to humans. i would also like to know if there are any reserved waters specifically for manatees and other large sea creatures that have been feeling the effects of human intervention in their habitat.
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