Florida Naturally.com

This species of manatee is found in the warm waters around Florida, the Caribbean and South America. It is a docile, slow-moving marine mammal which feeds on vegetation. Most adult manatees are about 10 feet long and weight 800 to 1,200 pounds, although some larger than 12 feet long and weighing as much as 3,500 pounds have been recorded. Because it moves slowly and favors warm waters, manatees are susceptible to collisions with motor boats. Historical accounts and archeological evidence of manatees prior to the first half of the 20th century are poor and often contradictory (O’Shea 1988). It does indicate that manatees probably are as geographically widespread today as they were historically. They were hunted by pre-Columbian indians, but the extent to which they were taken is unclear. In 1893, the State of Florida passed legislation prohibiting the killing of manatees. The long-term survival of manatees in Florida, however, is uncertain. Known mortality, which averaged over 170 animals per year between 1988 and 1992, is more than twice what it was in the late 1970s. Given what is known about the present population size and the species’ ability to produce only a single calf every 2.5-5 years per mature female, mortality may be exceeding the populations’ ability to produce new animals.