“Preserve And Protect”
November 14, 2021
By Kimmy Foulds
In celebration of the intelligent, magnificent manatees with beautiful innate nurturing senses, may we continue to admire these gentle and playful sea cows. November is Manatee Awareness Month in Florida, dedicated to save the manatees and their conservation as they return to warmer aquas from their summer migratory routes.
Since 1979, Florida began to recognize manatee protection zones where manatees gather during the winter such as boating or swimming areas, harbors, docks, piers, rivers, channels, shallow canals, inlets, lagoons, estuaries and bays. While the time is fascinating to watch manatees gracefully roll in a 350-degree spin, delicately chase or nudge each other and hear their whistling chirps, it is important to note that it is illegal in Florida to feed, touch or water manatees.
Manatees sleep motionless at the bottom of the temperate coastlines, surface slowly to force a remarkable exhale and inhale air exchange every few minutes and then float-like back down to their cozy space again at the bottom domain to rest and slumber. We find ourselves marveling at their large size, flat two adorable flippers, paddle type round broad tail and amazing pitched squeaking sounds. Manatees can measure over 13 feet long, can weigh as much as 1,300 pounds with the life span up to 60 years in Florida.
Though manatees are known for their curiosity, unfortunately the main causes of death for manatees are human-related issues such as habitat destruction and human objects. For example, violent collisions with propeller-driven boats or ships and in some severe instances, manatees have been found with over 50 scars on them from vessel motor blades.
When cruising or trawling in Florida, please stay alert to our gorgeous drifting, leisurely, twirling sea cow manatees. And, help keep manatee habitat clean by participating in shoreline or beach cleanup events and collect litter or discarded fishing property by disposing the debris properly.
We can all make a difference in preserving and protecting Florida manatees by supporting and getting involved with Save the Manatee Club.
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