How Do Manatees Move Around?
Other People Are Reading
-
Large Sea Mammals
-
Manatees belong to a group of sea mammals called sirenians after the centuries-old belief that the manatees were singing mermaids known as sirens. Even though they must breathe air, their immense size requires them to remain underwater their entire lives. Closely related to elephants, manatees average between 800 and 1,200 pounds. Occasionally, manatees stay below the surface for up to 20 minutes, but most come up for air every three to five minutes, requiring them to stay in shallow waters, where surface air can easily be accessed.
Habitat and Activity
-
Manatees spend most of their days looking for food and swimming through the water. Like cow, they move slowly through shallow water full of vegetation, similar to a grass-filled pasture. Each day, a manatee eats 100 to 200 pounds of sea plants growing in warm, shallow waters. Since cold water can kill a manatee, these animals migrate to warmer waters in the winter. This traveling takes up the remainder of their daily activity. As they swim, the manatees find food along the way, staying in plant-rich areas of shallow waters.
-
Slow Swimmers
-
Manatees do not have a body structure for swimming quickly through the water. Their large paddle-shaped tail moves up and down to propel the animal. Manatees use their two front flippers to steer themselves as they swim. On average, manatees only swim at four mph through the water, but if in danger, they can speed away at 15 mph.
Since they prefer to stay near the surface of the water, boats often hit manatees with their propellers, causing serious injury or death to the sea mammals. Listed as endangered by the Endangered Species Act, manatees became eligible for conservation efforts. The Florida Manatee Recovery Project hopes to prevent the manatee from becoming extinct.
-
