About manatees...

Manatees are sometimes called "sea cows" because of their slow-moving pace, gentle behavior, and vegetarian diet. Although manatees can swim very quickly in short bursts, they usually only swim at three to five miles per hour. That's as fast as a good human swimmer but much slower than most fish. Manatees tend to rest underwater, staying submerged to eat sea grass and other underwater plants before coming up for air. Manatees don't have blowholes, but they do have fleshy valves that close off their nostrils, helping to keep water out of the nose. Manatees can hold their breath for over 20 minutes!

Meet the manatee...

"Hello, human! I know you’re curious about manatees, so I want to share a little advice. I’m a great grandma, and I’ve been around for 60 years, so I’ve seen a lot of comings and goings in these waters. Here are a few DOs and DON’Ts I want you to know if you plan on visiting my shallows. Are you listening?

•DON’T be afraid of manatees. We don’t bite. We love to swim near humans and bump up against you to say ‘hello’ – but only when we’re in the right mood.
•DO stand in the shallow water if you want us come to you.
•DON’T chase us– that shoos us away.
•DON’T be afraid to touch my bumpy skin. I may look old and worn, but I’m friendly.
•DON’T speed your boats in shallow waterways. One reason we have scars is that we can’t move quickly enough to get out of your way. That’s what got great grandpa.

Most of all, DON’T ever call me a sea cow; is that clear, sweetie? Listen to grandma. And come visit soon. "