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 The
West Indian Manatee is a large, gray-brown aquatic mammal.
Its seal-like body tapers to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. The
upper part of its body has two small forelimbs with 3 to 4 nails
on each flipper. The head and face are wrinkled, and the snout
has whiskers. Adults have been known to reach lengths of over
13 feet and weights of over 3,000 pounds. Calves are 3 to
4 feet long at birth and weigh approximately 60 pounds.
Manatees spend most of their time feeding and resting. They
graze for food along rivers, coastal bottoms and the water's surface.
Manatees have been known to hold their breaths for as long as 20
minutes, but they usually surface every 5 minutes to breathe.
Their minimum population is estimated to be about 1,800; however,
the continuing growth of Florida's coastal areas threatens the manatee's
survival.
Current Manatee Count:
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Summer Manatee Conditions
We have entered into our standard summertime manatee tour conditions and won't be needing
to update this section of our website until fall when the weather cools off again.
We find manatee every day, but not as many and not in water that is as clear as in winter.
Some days it takes longer to find them than other days, but we do find them. That is a big
part of why our tour is so much longer than typical tours. To allow you plenty of time to
enjoy being in the water with manatee, even on the days that it takes a while to find them.
Every tour is enjoyable and to many is a very touching and truly memorable experience.
Mar. 19th, 2008
Mid March has brought us warm temperatures and fewer manatees.
Most of our winter population has left to feed where the grass is
greener. They are not gathering in large numbers around the springs.
We are still finding a few manatees daily, but the quality of the
tour fluctuates, and the water quality is not as good if we find
them in the middle of the bay.
Santuaries come down March 31st, and smaller tours will continue
through the summer.
We recommend that if you're concerned about your chances, make a
reservation, then call us a day or so before the trip. If we think
your chances of a good encounter are less than 50/50 you can cancel.
Otherwise just reserve, go out, and you'll find that even on the
toughest days the tours
are still fun and the manatee
are still magical! Just think cool.
Please call or e-mail for current conditions. You can call the
dive shop at 800-771-2763 between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for current
conditions.
We always give our customers the opportunity to cancel a reservation
if we do not believe we can locate any playful manatees. Check The
Weather Channel's website and type in our zip code (34428) for
local conditions. If it drops into the low 50's in the night, low
70's in the day we will probably have manatees here. Once the gulf
warms up about 70 degrees, they will begin to migrate elsewhere.
Expect a small summer population when the food supply grows back
around May.
The aerial photograph displayed above right is of the
King Spring sanctuary in December, 2001, when the
air temperature was 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
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What Can Boaters
Do?
You can reduce your chances of injuring or killing a manatee by following these simple steps:
- Wear polarized glasses while operating a boat. Polarized lenses make it much easier to see the "swirling" that
occurs when a manatee surfaces for air.
-
Stay in the center of the marked channel.
Manatees have shown signs that they are avoiding heavy traffic areas.
Channel depth reduces the likelihood of pinning or crushing manatees.
-
Stay out of sea grasses. Grass beds are prime manatee habitat.
This includes areas where hydrilla and water hyacinths are present.
-
Slow down. Your boat has speeds other than idle and "wide open".
Reducing your speed gives you greater maneuverability to avoid a manatee when you see
one (you'll also save gas).
-
Observe all manatee speed zones and caution areas.
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What Can Divers
Do?
As divers, you are directly entering the manatee's habitat. By following these simple
steps you can minimize your impact:
- Use snorkel gear when diving with manatees. The sound of bubbles from SCUBA gear can frighten the manatees.
-
Manatees are wild animals and should not be fed.
Close exposure to or dependence on humans can be harmful to them.
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While swimming or diving, do not approach or chase a manatee.
Give a manatee its "personal space".
-
A cow and her calf belong together.
Please do not separate them -- actually, please do not separate or single out
any individual manatee from a herd.
-
Never poke, prod or stab a manatee with your hands, feet or any object.
-
Take only as many pictures as the manatees will pose for.
Never try to force a manatee into an extended photo
session.
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Becky Dayhuff wrote several articles about Florida's manatees after swimming with them in Crystal River.
Her articles have helped raise awareness of the many problems that manatees face.
Introduction
Article 1: First Encounter
Article 2: Endangered
Article 3: Protection
Conclusion: Preservation
These articles were taken from a series of articles originally published by
Africam.com in July of 2000.
Africam.com was recently highlighted on NBC Nightly News and was featured in the
August 2000 issue of Conde' Nast Traveler magazine.
More Information
If you would like more information about manatees and the things that
are being done to protect them,
contact the organizations listed below and request the specified
booklets or brochures -- or visit your local library.
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Florida Power and Light
Environmental Affairs Department
P.O. Box 078768
West Palm Beach, FL 33407-0788
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Request these booklets:
The West Indian Manatee In Florida
Attention: Swimmers, Boaters and Divers -- Guidelines
for protecting Manatees |
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Protected Species Management
MS 245 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000
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Request this booklet:
The Manatee, Miss Her Now or Miss Her Forever |
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United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
1502 S.E. Kings Bay Drive
Crystal River, FL 34429 |
Request these brochures:
Chassohowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge... and this booklet:
Guidelines for Protecting Manatees |
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