Where Do Manatees Live

Manatees can be as heavy as 1000 pounds and over. Although they may look like walrus with a very different skin, they are actually related to the elephant. They have a very huge diet composed of around 100 pounds of plants and vegetables on any given day. Because they are heavy, they can swim at speeds of around 5 to 8 kilometers per hour.  Where do manatees live?, you may wonder.

The Florida manatees usually live in the Southern coast of the United States in the rivers of Florida. The Antillean Manatees inhabit the coast of Central America and the Caribbean while the West African Manatees are in the coasts of Western Africa. Amazonian Manatees spend their lifetimes in the Amazon River and the manatees’ cousin, the Dugongs live in various parts of the world such as Asia, India, Northern Australia and Eastern Africa.

Manatees can live comfortably in their slow aquatic ways. They usually love shallow rivers that are moving slowly. If you go to various canals, saltwater bays, coastal areas and estuaries, you can easily spot a manatee or two. These manatees also love to travel during the winter. This is because they can barely tolerate cold temperature. This is why Manatees from India may well find themselves in the waters of Florida. But they may also visit the coasts of South Carolina and Texas.

Depending on their habitat, the manatees can easily reach 60 years before they die. Sadly, most manatee deaths are related to human activities. It’s either they collide with boats and ships or they can be trapped and drowned in canals and flood control mechanisms. There have also been cases where manatees swallowed fish hooks and waste materials in the water. More than these threats though, the greatest challenge to manatees is the destruction of their natural habitats. This is why there are now only about 3,000 manatees in the United States.

This led the government to create policies and rules concerning the habitat of manatees. They are already protected under US laws. Humans may not capture or kill these animals. The state of Florida also has important laws governing this matter. There are also efforts for conservation of manatees. Florida, again, is at the forefront of this initiative through the Florida Manatee Recovery Plan. This plan has listed a number of tasks that can help manatees recover from their present status of endangerment. Part of this plan is the conservation and protection of places where manatees live.