Planning a Unique 4th of July? Why Not Swim with Manatees?

Swim with manatees on the 4th of july

Three Key Takeaways

  1. Swimming with manatees is a unique way to celebrate the 4th of July and can help to induce a meditative state, lowering stress levels and contributing to overall mental health.
  2. Crystal River, FL and Blue Spring State Park are great destinations for manatee swimming and offer a range of activities like kayaking, bird watching and indulging in local seafood.
  3. It is important to research authorized tour operators for manatee tours and familiarize yourself with manatee behavior and safety guidelines before diving in.

Swim with manatees on the 4th of julyScrambling for a novel way to celebrate the 4th of July? We suggest deviating from the traditional parade, barbecue and fireworks routine, and consider something truly unique. Picture this: You, the warm Florida water, and an intimate encounter with manatees, one of nature’s most majestic and gentle creatures.

The allure of swimming with manatees

Manatees, also known as sea cows, are cherished for their placid nature and sociable disposition. As clouds of firework smoke fill the sky elsewhere, imagine the serenity of gliding through the water alongside these serene animals. The allure of swimming with manatees lies in their tranquil presence, their slow, meditative movement, their apparent indifference to the world outside their aquatic dwelling.

The best destinations for swimming with manatees on the 4th of July

Through this unique adventure, you will find not only an unusual 4th of July activity but also a method of relaxation and stress relief. The slow rhythm of manatees swimming and their peaceful interactions can help to induce a meditative state, lowering stress levels and contributing to overall mental health.

To swim with manatees, Florida should be your destination. Known as the manatee capital of the world, Crystal River, FL, offers the ideal conditions for manatee sightings. The city, besides being a sanctuary for manatees, also offers a range of other activities, including kayaking, bird watching, and indulging in local seafood.

Blue Spring State Park is another top spot to consider. This gem of Florida provides unparalleled manatee viewing opportunities and boasts a natural beauty that commands respect and admiration. Both locations offer a chance for a unique 4th of July celebration.

Planning your 4th of July manatee adventure

To plan this unique adventure, booking a Manatee Tour should top your to-do list. Conduct your research and look for authorized tour operators, like – Captain Mike’s Swimming With The Manatees. Understanding the regulations and guidelines is essential for ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for you and the manatees.

Packing for a manatee swim is not unlike packing for a typical day at the beach. Swimsuits, towels, sunscreen are essentials, with additional items like underwater cameras for the shutterbugs. However, it’s also crucial to remember the importance of protecting the environment and wildlife by avoiding any harmful chemicals or materials.

Preparing for a successful manatee swim 

Preparation plays a significant role in a successful manatee swim. Before diving in, familiarize yourself with manatee behavior and safety guidelines. Understanding what to expect during a manatee encounter can enhance your experience and ensure you show respect to these gentle creatures and their natural habitat.

This 4th of July, dare to be different and plan a unique celebration. Replace the explosive sounds of fireworks with the gentle whoosh of a manatee surfacing for air. Leave the grilling and BBQ-ing for another day, and instead, savor the sights of Florida’s natural beauty. A manatee swim offers a truly out-of-the-box 4th of July experience.

Why not step away from the ordinary and into the extraordinary? With Captain Mike’s Swimming With The Manatees, you’ll not only have an amazing 4th of July but also provide a story to share for years to come. You’ll be able to tell tales of the time you celebrated America’s Independence day differently, by swimming with one of nature’s most gentle creatures in the marvelous Crystal River, FL.

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Can you swim with manatees without a tour?

Have you heard about those unbelievably cute and docile Florida manatees? Maybe you’re eager to observe and swim alongside these gentle creatures. And, your curious mind is teeming with questions about how to relish a delightful experience with manatees in their natural habitat.

At Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees, we answer your questions about manatees. We provide information to help you have the most rewarding manatee experience.

You might be wondering if you can swim with manatees on your own without a tour.

Certainly, that’s possible, but only if you’re a local who knows where to go, what to do, and how to conduct yourself properly in their habitat.

Swimming with the manatees requires planning and knowledge. In fact, this includes locating the right place to legally snorkel with them, bringing the appropriate gear, and mastering manatee manners.

A snorkeling tour with the manatees follows strict guidelines, and others will be watching you. If you behave inappropriately, authorities may report you. In fact, it can lead to potential consequences like hefty fines, arrests, or other penalties.

The easiest, safest, and surest way to swim with manatees is with a guided tour. Moreover, a boat or kayak tour enables quicker water entry and offers a dry spot for resting and belongings.

An average tour lasts about three hours and costs approximately $65. It encompasses all necessary gear, including a wetsuit, swimming noodles, snorkel, and mask. Furthermore, everything required for safety and comfort is provided.

Why should you go swimming with manatees on a tour and not on your own?

1. Proper guidance.

In 2017, the manatees were moved from the endangered species list to the threatened species list. However, that was not a free pass to misbehave or mishandle the animals. Furthermore, you must act in a way that avoids stressing the animals in their natural habitat.

You must adhere to passive observation. Allowing the manatees to take the lead, you can have interactions with them that are more natural and comfortable. If a manatee approaches you, you are legally allowed to use one hand to reciprocate. Otherwise, you must be in the water passively and only observing them, waiting for them to approach you as their playfulness and curiosity grows.

Going on a tour with a knowledgeable guide ensures that you learn and follow passive observation in the water. Furthermore, tour guides will brief you on the dos and don’ts of interacting with the sea cows before your departure. As a result, you will be well-prepared to maximize your experience, respecting state and federal laws that safeguard animals.

2. Access to proper gear.

Well-informed and experienced captains conduct the guided tours. In addition, the tours are designed to be entirely safe for both the visitors and the manatees. Rest assured, you will be on a stable, comfortable, and safe boat or kayak. Furthermore, you will also have access to all the necessary equipment to help you stay in the water longer.

Your captain ensures you’re warm with a wetsuit, buoyant with a pool noodle, and mobile with flippers. Additionally, you will also be given a snorkel and a mask to help you observe the manatees. Therefore, you can use these while you are face down in the water.

3. Mandatory video on manatee manners.

Watching the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge video on manatee manners before you go on a tour is mandatory. Produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the video teaches you the dos and don’ts of interacting with manatees. Moreover, a guide will watch it with you and explain the rules so you can better understand what is expected of visitors.

4. A chance to tap into expert knowledge.

In addition to providing specialized gear and swimming instructions, these manatee tours offer educational insights. The captains, functioning as local guides, share their extensive manatee knowledge. Furthermore, our tour captain ensures the exploration of prime manatee spots and multiple sightings.

Frequently, especially during peak seasons, guides conduct sunset trips the day before. This ensures knowledge of manatee resting spots after a day of grazing, facilitating sightings the next morning. Therefore, opting for a guided tour guarantees a manatee encounter, regardless of the season.

Tour operators collaborate and update each other via radio communication. Therefore, they remain well-informed about ongoing manatee activities, ensuring visits to locations teeming with these creatures.

5. Making new friends.

Reputable outfitters, offering small group tours for 6-10 people, ensure personal attention and safety. In fact, keeping groups small allows guides to focus and provide quality time observing the manatees.

Furthermore, group tours foster camaraderie, letting you share moments, make friends, and savor experiences alongside others. Therefore, choosing a tour ensures you benefit from a captain’s expertise, enhancing your day’s enjoyment.

Wonderful manatee tours.

Now, if you’re seeking a safe and unforgettable water experience with manatees, consider choosing a guided tour.

At Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees, we offer personalized tours that not only delight but also educate and create lasting memories.

When accompanied by one of our knowledgeable captains, you’ll have the opportunity to maximize your time with these remarkable creatures. Moreover, we place a strong emphasis on responsible tourism and the protection of manatees and their habitat.

By joining our tour, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for conservation efforts and the eco-tourism standards that safeguard these gentle giants. Furthermore, our tours provide a unique chance to observe manatees up close in their natural habitat.

During your excursion, our experienced captain will ensure that you are taken to the best locations for spotting and interacting with the manatees. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to learn about their behavior, habitat, and the conservation efforts aimed at preserving their populations.

With our expert guidance, you’ll be able to capture incredible memories and develop a deeper understanding of these fascinating creatures. Ultimately, our guided tour promises a safe, educational, and truly unforgettable experience with manatees.

Swim & Snorkel With Manatees

If you’ve wanted to get close to nature and interact with wild animals in their natural habitat, then a swim with manatee tour is a perfect outing for you.

Manatees are wild but harmless animals that grow as big as 13 feet long and weigh up to 3,500 pounds. The large adorable creatures occupy the brackish waters of the sunny areas in the Southern United States and Central America. They roam the waters of Florida from April to October, but when the weather turns chilly they congregate in the freshwater springs where the temperature remains constant throughout the year. Swimming with manatees is an amazing and delightful experience. Remember, they are curious and gentle creatures that will readily approach and interact with you as long as they are not unsettled or scared by your presence.

Where should you have your manatee tour?

If you want to swim with manatees and get a taste of Old Florida, you can go to the waters of Crystal River — one of the best places to see and interact with Florida manatees, a subspecies of the West Indian Manatee. Crystal River is located in Citrus County, the only place in North America where you can legally swim and snorkel with manatees. Crystal River is home to Kings Bay, the best-known manatee swimming area, where as many as 10 percent of the state’s manatee population gathers. It is also in Crystal River where Three Sisters Springs is located, a natural spring where manatees like to go during the coldest months.

When should you go swimming with the manatees?

Swimming and snorkeling with manatees is mainly a wintertime activity, best done in late fall (November and December) and winter (January through March). It is in the winter when large groups of manatees migrate into the warm water springs of Crystal River. While there are a few manatees residing in the springs throughout the year, the large numbers there in winter makes it the ideal time for a quality experience. The best time to get into the water is early in the morning when the manatees are at their most interactive. If you go snorkeling during the day, you are likely to find them mostly resting and not ready for interaction. Weekends tend to be crowded, so making the trip during weekdays is more opportune.

Why is snorkeling the best way to swim with manatees?

The manatee tour experience is best done by snorkeling while wearing wetsuits. Snorkeling makes the interaction as silent as possible, encouraging manatees to approach and get close to you. Manatees are sensitive to movement and sound, so you should not dive into the water because the bubbles will scare them away. You also can’t get underneath these surface dwellers as that will frighten them. Be as calm and relaxed as possible. Glide into the water and float on the surface.

Although the sheer size of these animals is overwhelming, you don’t need to panic — they won’t bite you. They will continue to slowly graze in the shallow waters, swim up and down or just snooze in the silt even in your presence. And as long as you don’t disturb them while they eat, they will remain calm and approachable, friendly and curious. So relax. Stay on the surface and enjoy your time. The calmer you are, the more likely a manatee will swim over to you.

What equipment do you need?

For your manatee tour, a snorkel, mask and wetsuit are necessary, but fins are not. In the water, you’ll only need to float and never to swim. In fact, if you are unfamiliar with using fins, they can stir up the water and frighten the manatees. Your tour plan with Captain Mike’s will include all the necessary equipment, such as new suits, snorkel gear and full-service facilities for changing. But make sure to bring plenty of warm clothes. While the water is a constant 72 degrees, which isn’t bad when wearing a wetsuit and immersed, you’ll probably feel chilled when you come out.

What rules and guidelines should you follow?

Swimming with manatees is permitted, but you are cautioned to be respectful and protective of the animals. According to Florida law it is illegal to annoy, harass, disturb or molest any of these mammals. So there is no diving down, no feeding, no chasing and no riding manatees. Also you should not get into their sanctuaries.

Guides at Captain Mike’s are staunch conservationists who take the welfare of the endangered animals seriously. Your guide will ensure that you understand and follow the rules. You will go through a pre-tour education on passive observation, face-to-face interaction and how to get the best experience during the tour. During the tour, your guide will ensure all your interaction with manatees has to be on their terms. The guide will show you how to float in the water to avoid kicking the bottom as that will muck up the dirt.

Why should you take the tour with Captain Mike?

At Captain Mike’s, we give you the opportunity to swim and snorkel with manatees in the warm, spring-fed waters of Crystal River. We also take you to explore Three Sisters Springs, where you can discover the world’s biggest population of endangered manatees in the winter. After checking in at our tour center, you watch a short video about manatees, learn about the animals in a classroom-type setting, and go through the rules of swimming and interacting with the animals in a manner that is fun for both you and the sea cows. You’ll learn about passive interaction, which ensures that the animals enjoy the experience just as much as you do.

We fit you with a wetsuit for the snorkeling adventure and take you to the best locations for swimming with these slow-moving, friendly and curious giants. Of course, you’ll make the journey to the estuary in a covered pontoon boat with a Coast Guard captain aboard, so you can marvel at the wildlife around you and enjoy the trip while looking for a spot to get you as close as possible to the sea cows.

The captains are insured and certified professionals trained in first aid, rescue and CPR. They are also eco-tour certified by the Manatee Eco-Tourism Association (META), which helps them stay up-to-date on current manatee rules, research and the hydrology of Kings Bay. We care about your safety and that of the animals, so we will educate you, guide you and ensure you get a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For more information on manatee tours, visit Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees website.

How long do West Indian manatees live?

Tracking the lifespans of endangered species is critical to their survival and can offer helpful clues on how to save them. Scientists believe that the West Indian manatee can live as long as 50 to 60 years. However, for a number of reasons, few manatees in the wild live to the full potential of their lifespans.

While manatees lack natural predators, their natural habitat remains a constant threat. Manatees often float near the water’s surface, making them vulnerable to boat collisions. Accidental boat impacts cause the majority of serious injuries and fatalities among manatee populations. Despite implementing numerous measures to reduce these incidents, such accidents persist.

Additionally, manatees face the gradual degradation of their habitat. Human development has significantly reduced the availability of the natural resources that manatees rely on. Warm spring-fed waters are essential for the survival of West Indian manatees during colder months when ocean waters become cooler. Unfortunately, many of these critical areas are being lost due to human development.

Pollution has significantly impacted the West Indian manatee population. A fully-grown manatee can consume up to 150 pounds of food daily. Pollution-induced resource depletion has led to the loss of seagrass, a vital food source. Consequently, some manatees struggle to find sufficient nourishment, negatively affecting their lifespans.

These factors contribute to an estimated average manatee lifespan of about 30 years in the wild, only half of their potential lifespan.

Manatees exhibit adaptability and can thrive in captivity for extended periods. Snooty, born in captivity in 1948, held the longevity record. Living his entire life in a Florida aquarium, he passed away in 2017 at the age of 69 due to an accidental drowning. Snooty’s life has been studied by scientists to exemplify manatees’ potential lifespan.

Conservation initiatives are actively underway to ensure manatees reach their full lifespans, both in captivity and the wild. These efforts will significantly enhance the survival of the West Indian manatee—a remarkable marine species cherished by many. Visitors to Florida can engage in manatee watching and swimming experiences at “Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees.” To learn more about manatees and book tours, visit their website or arrange a tour in Crystal River, Florida.

What is the best time of day to swim with the manatees?

Swimming and diving are favorites of aquatic tourists who like to combine recreational travel and sporting activities. For residents and visitors of Citrus County in Florida, a different thrill is provided by the presence of the docile and friendly manatees. Manatees, or sea cows, are large aquatic mammals that primarily eat plants. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds. They are said to be relatives of the elephant. In addition to being large, manatees also have the coarse wrinkly skin, which sometimes has algae growing on it. They are very passive creatures that enjoy playing in the water. Manatees are a threatened species, protected by both federal and Florida state laws. For this reason, swimming with them is only allowed in Citrus County.

Best time of day to swim with manatees

Despite their large size, manatees cannot tolerate colder temperatures. Manatees follow warm water so they can be found in the warm water springs in Florida when it is winter in other places. For this reason, the best time to go swimming with manatees is during the winter months. And the best time of day to join the manatees is the early morning. It has been said that the best day to see manatees would be early morning of the coldest day of the year.

Another good reason for an early excursion to see the manatees is that there are fewer people around. It is always good to avoid a crowded tour and the water is calm and undisturbed early in the day. More boats tend to stir up the water, making visibility less clear for spotting the manatees.

Manatees are playful in the morning. You can enjoy the chance to see them in groups, in their best mood, eating and playing.

They also are more interactive in the morning. As the swimmer adopts a passive observer’s mindset. Remember, it’s important to note that manatees often display curiosity and interaction during the morning hours. They might naturally approach the swimmer on their own accord. It is important that swimmers not try to approach manatees or touch them. However, the large creatures may come close to check you out if you are quietly watching nearby.

When planning to swim with Florida’s manatees, ensure you select a guide familiar with the area. They understand manatee behavior and preferred spots during various weather conditions. Skilled guides, like those at Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees, enhance the adventure, making it enjoyable and unforgettable. The guides are familiar with the regulations safeguarding manatees. They can assist you in having an enjoyable experience without endangering these gentle creatures. For more information on manatees and manatee tours, visit Captain Mike’s Swimming With The Manatees website.

What Not To Do When Swimming With The Manatees?

Manatees are amazingly cute, docile and adorable animals. And swimming with them is an experience like no other wildlife encounter. During a swim-with-manatee tour, you slip quietly into the waters and immediately find yourself surrounded by these slumbering giants. Soon one of the many curious manatees will rise to the surface from the sandy bottom and begin to move around you with a gentle undulation of her huge, paddle-shaped tail.

As the manatee comes straight at you, raising her head and spreading her massive whisked muzzle, you’ll experience an adrenaline rush and perhaps with wide eyes and a deep breath, embark on a thrilling and breathtaking interaction with a wild animal on her own terms. But as you enjoy every second of your interaction with these animals, you must remember they are an endangered species protected by both state and federal laws. So you have to avoid actions that not only disrespect or harass the animals but also may lead to a hefty fine or land you in jail.

Here are things not to do when swimming with manatees

1. Don’t get into manatee lawns

In the springs, you will find that some areas have been roped off as devoted manatee sanctuaries. It is in these areas where the animals sleep and socialize without being bothered by humans. And because buoys and ropes have been used to clearly define these spots, you won’t get away with telling wildlife officials that you drifted into the sanctuaries accidentally. So as you swim with the animals, respect manatee sanctuaries. Remember, undisturbed access to manatee sanctuaries is vital for their survival.

2. Don’t approach or touch a manatee

While Citrus County, Florida, is the only area in North America where you can get into the natural habitat of manatees and legally swim with them, you are required to practice passive observation. What does passive observation mean? It means that you can physically interact with the animals in a controlled and reserved manner, specifically with one open hand. You only interact with a manatee that approaches you first, only swimming with the animals provided they are the ones that make the first move.

Essentially you are to float patiently and as quietly as possible on the water waiting for the animals to approach you. You don’t try to reach out to touch manatees because that can be really disruptive to them. Actually, this can train manatees to get used to humans. Eventually, this can alter their natural fear of both people and boats, resulting in manatee deaths.

3. Don’t lure manatees toward you

As you float patiently on the water, you must avoid the temptation to lure manatees toward you. For instance, diving down below the surface to the animals swimming or resting on the river floor is illegal. Don’t surround, poke, pinch, corner, chase, stand on or ride manatees. Also avoid separating a calf from her mother or an individual from a group. Give the animals the space to move.

Do not feed or provide water to the animals. Feeding them can alter their behavior towards humans and boats, increasing their vulnerability to collisions with boats. Likewise, don’t scratch the belly of manatees because that can tame the animals. This can  make them prone to boat-related accidents. You shouldn’t interact with manatees that have tail tags. These animals have floating GPS location transmitters fixed to their tails. They are already receiving too much human attention. So just leave them alone.

4. Don’t get into the water without a wetsuit

The water in the springs maintains a temperature of 72 degrees. Floating on the surface will rapidly take heat away from your body. As you float, you won’t be generating much heat, leading to the water feeling cold and uncomfortable. So you will need a wetsuit to be comfortable for the 1-2 hours of swimming with manatees. The wetsuit also will enhance your buoyancy, allowing you to float calmly and quietly without disruptive kicking and flailing.

Besides the wetsuit, you need a mask, snorkel and fins. The mask will enable you to keep your eyes down in the water and observe the animals graze, swim or rest in the water. The snorkel will enable you to remain calm and quiet on the water. However, remember that using flippers and scuba gear is not recommended. Diving into the water is illegal. Flippers will cause excessive splashing and stir up sand at the bottom, reducing water visibility. Also, the bubbles produced by scuba gear are disruptive to manatees. So if you don’t have snorkeling gear, you can rent some for your tour.

5. Don’t pet manatees

While swimming with manatees is legal in Crystal River and Homosassa River, among other springs, these places aren’t petting zoos. Petting manatees is unlawful because it can set a bad precedent and encourage everyone else to pet the animals. It also can change the natural behavior of manatees.

You must balance your love for the animals. You must also balance your desire to touch or have a very close encounter. Remember. you must do this with utmost respect for the animals. And to achieve this balance, it’s prudent to just avoid approaching them. You should simply float on the surface and observe them. If a curious manatee approaches and rubs against you, refrain from petting it.

Would you like to go on a manatee tour? Consider going on a guided manatee tour with one of the premier companies based around manatee sites, such as Captain Mike’s. During a guided tour, you will receive all the specialized gear and instructions necessary for a wonderful excursion. Accompanied by experienced guides, you will explore the area known for manatees, learning about the do’s and don’ts of a manatee tour. The guides will ensure a perfect manatee encounter by leveraging their expertise to locate these gentle creatures. Manatee tour providers give radio updates to one another to know exactly where manatee action is happening every hour. For more information, visit the “Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees” site.

What is the life expectancy of a manatee?

In their natural habitat, manatees can live for 50-60 years. Natural enemies do not threaten manatees. Similar to other wild animal populations, their mortality results from natural causes like cold stress, pneumonia, gastrointestinal disease, and other illnesses. However, human intrusion and activities in manatee habitats lead to additional fatalities caused by collisions with watercraft, drowning or crushing in flood control structures and canal locks, entanglement in trap lines for crabs, and ingestion of litter, fish hooks, and microfilament lines. The most critical threat that manatees in the U.S. face is the loss of habitat.

Challenges faced by manatees in the wild

Recent aerial synoptic surveys have identified a minimum of 5,000 Florida manatees. However, the population of these animals remains under significant pressure due to their slow reproductive and breeding rate, coupled with the constant hazards present in the wild. Manatees achieve sexual maturity around the age of 5 years. Their gestation period lasts for 13 months, leading to births occurring every 2-5 years, with twins being a rare occurrence. Although no documented predators exist, it is believed that Florida manatees occasionally face attacks and fatalities from alligators, sharks, and crocodiles. Additionally, watercraft collisions frequently occur, resulting in severe scars from boat propellers. Approximately 130 Florida manatees lose their lives annually due to boat collisions and lethal propeller lacerations.

Natural causes of manatee deaths

Cold stress poses a significant susceptibility for manatees. Many of these animals perish during periods of exceptionally cold weather. For instance, in 1996, at least 17 Florida manatees succumbed to cold-related illnesses. Moreover, the extraordinarily harsh winter of 1990 led to the deaths of a minimum of 46 manatees due to the cold conditions. Beyond cold stress, a range of bacterial and parasitic diseases contribute to manatee fatalities, similar to other animal populations. An illustrative case involves the year 1996, when a minimum of 150 manatees perished in southwest Florida due to a red tide organism known as Gymnodinium breve, which releases harmful toxins. Upon inhaling or ingesting these toxins, the manatees’ organs suffered attacks and damage, ultimately causing their demise.

Watercraft accidents

The dark color and slow swimming of manatees significantly heighten their vulnerability to watercraft collisions. Due to these factors, many boaters struggle to detect manatees in the water and frequently observe them too late, nearly guaranteeing a collision. Each year, watercraft accidents are responsible for 20-22 percent of Florida manatee fatalities, with collisions involving barges and boats comprising the largest proportion of human-related manatee deaths. While engine propellers present a threat to these animals, it is boat collisions that predominantly lead to fatal outcomes. Such collisions inflict internal bleeding, head injuries, and upper back wounds, ultimately causing the demise of the manatees.

Navigation locks and floodgates

As the animals swim upstream, they might inadvertently enter and traverse partially open flood gates. Consequently, they become ensnared in the powerful water current originating from the upstream side, ultimately leading to their drowning. Even flood gates operated remotely have the potential to crush and submerge manatees. Manatees can also become trapped within navigation locks. Entrapment in both navigation locks and flood control gates ranks as the second most prevalent cause of human-related manatee fatalities. In the time span between 1976 and 2018, over 250 manatees were definitively reported deceased due to entrapment in navigational locks and flood control gates in Florida. Engineers have recently chosen to integrate pressure-sensitive mechanisms on flood gates known to pose a fatal threat to manatees. Each sensor carries a cost of approximately $50,000.

Poaching, vandalism and habitat destruction

Despite legal protection, vandals and poachers still contribute to a significant number of deaths among manatees. In certain regions, the animals are hunted for food, while in other areas, they fall victim to harassment. Similarly, since the 1950s, the destruction of natural habitats for coastal animals has been on the rise. For Florida manatees, this translates to an ongoing reduction in salt marshes, mangrove areas, and seagrass beds that have historically sustained their population. The Florida human population experiences a daily growth of approximately 1,000 people, leading to an annual loss of roughly 250,000 acres of forests. Presently, about one-fourth of Florida’s land area remains semi-natural.

Pollution and accidental entanglement

In 2013, Florida manatee deaths reached a record high of 829 animals, surpassing the number of deaths in 2012 by more than double. These deaths were predominantly attributed to a surge in toxic red tide. The severity of this red tide was exacerbated by increased nutrient loads originating from human waste and agricultural runoff. While the toxins from the red tide algae have always been present in the Gulf of Mexico, recent algae blooms spurred by heightened pollution have resulted in lethal concentrations of the nerve poison (brevetoxin). When this poison attaches to the manatees’ food or becomes airborne through inhalation, it leads to paralysis, suffocation, and eventual demise. Additionally, manatees have been discovered entangled in crab trap lines or fishing lines that constrict their flippers, resulting in severe infections, amputations, and occasionally death. Approximately, 15 percent of deceased manatees are found to have ingested debris in their stomachs.

For additional information on life expectancy of a manatee and manatee tours, visit the “Captain Mike’s Swimming with the Manatees” site.

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What Role Do Manatees Play in the Ecosystem?

Often referred to as “sentinel species,” manatees are an indicator of the overall health of their marine ecosystems. As residents of both freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, typically slow-moving bays, rivers, coastal marshes and estuaries, manatees are quite susceptible to different environmental stressors. They are ideal indicators of any severe environmental changes that could have devastating effects on their ecosystems or habitats. Being predominantly aquatic herbivores, they play a critical role in the nutrients cycle and help clear the waterways by feeding on aquatic plants.

Core part of the ecosystem

Like other animals, manatees are merely a part of the much larger system where components are interdependent — remove one of the elements from the system and the whole system inevitably falls apart. In their ecosystem, manatees stop local vegetation from being obstructive by eating up massive quantities of plant life, up to 110 pounds of food per day. After eating huge quantities of sea grasses, the animals excrete all the digested flora in their surrounding environment and help recycle nutrients. Manatees do not prey on other animals, allowing other aquatic animals to thrive.

Opening up waterways

Eating up large quantities of marine plants makes manatees very crucial to canals, shallow rivers, salt marshes, bays and mangroves. Many of these nutrient-rich ecosystems are often clogged with overgrowths of hyacinth and other vegetation, supported by runoff fertilizers and outputs from sewerage treatment plants. As manatees eat up and clear these invasive vegetation from the waterways, they improve the health of their specific ecosystems. If the waterways were to be blocked by the invasive vegetation, there would be detrimental effects on other organisms in the water.

Returning to the same grass beds

Manatees also impact their ecosystems by repeatedly returning to the same places to graze. While they usually feed on the edges of these grass beds, they never forget where their food sources are located even after migrating to other areas. The constant “mowing” of seagrass helps to maintain the health of these grass beds. Likewise, their large body size ensures that they are able to influence the structure and function of their environments, not just as major consumers of aquatic plants and recyclers of various limiting nutrients, but as promoters and regulators of primary productivity.

Swimming with manatees is a unique, thrilling and remarkable experience. When you go out with our captains you’ll have an experience that you will remember forever. Knowledgeable in the nature, behavior and activities of manatees and on their interactions with humans, they’ll ensure you have a wonderful time with these fascinating sea cows. You also will have an opportunity to check out the beautiful scenery and connect with nature. For more information on manatees and manatee tours, visit the “Captain Mike’s Swimming With The Manatees” site.

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