Manatees ~Jurassic Jake

If you have ever spent time in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean around Florida, then you’re sure to know what Manatees are. If not, here is a little information about them. The average manatee can grow up to 10 feet in length. They move very slow and are nicknamed the River Cow. A 1000 pound manatee can eat 100-150 pounds of river vegetation. Manatees are on the endangered list so please be a responsible boater when powering through waters where manatees may live. The main threat to manatees is speeding motor boats and they bear the scars of the accidents if they survive. Other threats are pollution and red tide.

 I have had two close encounters with manatees, one was in our old marina, my sister nearly touched him and the second time we were at Fort Meyer’s Beach, we were in our dinghy and we snuck up on a manatee without even knowing it. The manatee got scared and burst at top speed and he scared us just as much. The main threat to manatees is speeding motor boats and they bear the scars of the accidents if they survive. Other threats are pollution and red tide.

Here are a couple pictures of a release last year of a mother and her child. We got to talk to the vet who took care of them both. She told us their story. The mother was hit by a powerboat and nearly died. She gave birth to her baby at Miami Seaquarium, where they were rehabilitating them. They released them off the coast of Captiva Island in SW Florida.

~Jurassic Jake