Manatees are marine mammals that may grow to about ten feet in length and weigh well over one thousand pounds. Manatees may be found around Puerto Rico's coastal areas, near shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, and canals. The Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is found in Puerto Rico, throughout the Caribbean and in the coasts of Central America.
Manatees are large sea animals. They move slowly along the coasts, grazing or resting. This behavior makes them like targets for boat collisions, which is the major cause of human-related manatee deaths. Small boats with outboards engines often cause wounds, scarring, and even deaths. Large power vessels and barges moving through shallow water can also run over manatees, crushing them against the bottom. Sometimes an increase in boating activities in areas preferred by manatees can scare them to sub-optimal habitats affecting their survival. Manatees have been declared an endangered species. As such, they are protected under the federal Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts.
Manatees are completely harmless and nonaggressive.
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Manatee or Sea-Cow
Photo by Tom Denham,
Courtesy of stock.xchg
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