Manatee: 
The Gentle Sea Cow

Observing the waters outside Lovers Key Resort you may see a ripple in the water or a large tail come out of nowhere, what is it, you say?  Very likely it is one of the many gentle West Indian manatees that inhabit the warm bay water behind the hotel. 

Manatees are very large gentle creatures with whale-like bodies that taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail and two forelimbs, called flippers.  Its head and face are wrinkled with whiskers on the snout.  The average size of  the manatee is approximately 9ft and weighs 800-1,200 pounds.

Known as the “sea cow”, manatees are slow –moving, very passive creatures.  Most of their time is spent eating, resting and traveling.  They’re herbivores and eat approximately 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation.  Hence that is why manatees are found in shallow slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas where seagrass beds or vegetation flourish.

It is believed that manatees can live up to 60 years of age.  Researchers estimate that they are approximately 2,500-3,000 West Indian manatees left in the United States.  They are listed on the endangered species list due to not only natural causes of death but a high number of deaths that are human-related.  Some deaths are caused by collisions with watercrafts, drowned in canal locks, ingestion of  fish hooks, litter and entanglement in crab trap lines.  However, the biggest threat to the manatees is their loss of habitat. 

Conservation measures have been put into place by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help save the manatee population.  Save the Manatee Club is an educational website where you can learn more about this fascinating animal.  You can even help by adopting a manatee and get “up close and personal” with a known individual.  It will be the beginning of a new friendship.  Visit www.savethemanatee.org for adoption information and be sure to keep your eyes open at Lovers Key to see these gentle creatures in the wild.