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Why Manatees Are
An Endangered Species
Sometimes
a manatee's face can appear very sad, tired...almost as if the animal
can foresee the fate that may await its species.
In
the wild, manatees have no natural enemies, and not
because of their impressive size. A fully-grown adult manatee may be
as long as 12-14 feet and weigh over 2,000
pounds.
Despite
its formidable appearance, the manatee is completely defenseless.
It has no weapons with which to attack or retaliate. Its teeth
are used for grazing on submerged grasses
and floating plants.
It
is unfortunate the manatee is not more aggressive.
Then they could have fought back against some of the
harassment that has been inflicted on them.
Because of their tremendous size and strange looks, some people have
felt compelled to spear them with pitchforks, blast
them with shotguns, attack them with axes, carve their initials in them or deliberately
run them down with boats.
The loss of coastal
habitat that once nourished rich seagrass beds is the main
reason for the decline in manatees.
Boats and red
tide may cause significant mortality, but it is the sheer loss
of vital habitat and seagrasses that place
the manatee at greatest risk.
More than 3,000
manatees are believed to live in Florida waters, up significantly
from 10 years ago.
Florida Manatee Facts and Information
Where to See Florida Manatees
Manatee Photo Gallery
How the Manatee Got Its Name
How Long Do Manatees Live?
How Long Have Manatees Been Around?
Manatees and Elephants
Manatees as Mermaids
To Florida Manatee Homepage
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