April-The Majestic Manatee

These large animals were thought to be related to the walrus because of the way they look.Today, by using Genetics, scientists found that the manatee is more closely related to the elephant than any other living animal. Manatees are very heavy and large animals, weighing up to 2000 pounds. Like the whale, there large bodies can only be supported in the water. On the land, there own weight would crush there internal organs. Manatees are the only marine mammals that are herbivores. They eat and average of 100 pounds of water plants! That is equal to more than 200 heads of Lettuce!!!!

Manatees are well suited to there aquatic life. They have powerful front limbs that help them steer and a flipper in the back that propels them forward. They can move along at 3 to 5 miles per hour, but when they are frightened, they can move more quickly. Like all Mammals, the Manatee have to breathe. They do this every 3 to 5 minutes when they are active. Manatees can only breath through their nose, and they have a flap that closes tightly when they dive.

At Birth, Manatees can weigh up to 70 pounds and are 50 inches long. They can grow to be 70 years old and more then 3 metres long.

When the Manatee comes to the surface to breathe, the disaster strikes. The boats coming towards them at high speeds, have no way of stopping in time and the propeller hits the Manatee and leaves its mark. Sad, huh??!!

Now we have places where boating is forbidden and the manatees can live without worrying if they will be the next victim to a propeller attack.