Manatees can survive for 20 minutes underwater. Manatees are extremely gentle and passive, thanks to having no direct predators. However, using other data from fellow explorers, it seems that he may have simply found a manatee or two out at sea! 11. Are they the start of the mermaid legend?Ĭhristopher Columbus once wrote in his travel logs that he spotted mermaids out at sea. Many manatees sadly perish due to boat accidents, though humans have hunted them for centuries.ġ0. However, they are threatened by human intervention. Manatees are not known to be hunted by any specific predators. In fact, they spend around half of their daily lives foraging for food. It’s likely the average manatee will consume around 10% of its weight in plants, grass and algae each day. However, they can also be solo foragers, looking for vegetation to snack on. Manatees are non-territorial beasts, and they can couple up. You’ll generally find that manatees range from eight to 13 feet in length. Even so, they are much nippier than they appear. They can bob, but they can dart, too!Ī manatee is actually capable of swimming along at a maximum of 15mph! However, it’s much more likely you will find sea cows bobbing about around 5mph. No wonder, then, that people refer to them as sea cows! 5. The word ‘manatee’ derives from ‘manti’ in Carab, which roughly translates to ‘udder’. Therefore, they don’t actually have much fat to protect them against the cold. In fact, the majority of their bulk is due to the sheer size of their digestive system. It’s a common misconception that a manatee is all fat and blubber. Most of a manatee’s bulk is down to innards! You’ll find manatees which weigh as much as 1,200lbs. The average manatee is likely to weigh five or six times the bulk of an average human being. There are three distinct types of manatee, as well as dugongs – West African, Amazonian and West Indian. There are more manatee species than you might think. Take a look at these fun facts about manatees for more information on what to expect… 1. Slow and steady, they appear cuddly and cute – but what else are they known for? Sometimes referred to as sea cows, manatees are funny-looking beasts – all blubber and slightly egg-shaped! However, the manatee is one of the most fascinating critters you’ll find beneath the water.
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