Manatee May Madness
LAST UPDATED: 13 May 2008

May 13th, 2008. Today on Sanibel Island a few lucky individuals witnessed a very unusual sight. Approximately 20 manatees had gathered in the shallow tidal zone on the bayside of the Lighthouse in an amazing display of mating ritual behavior. The large female remained surrounded by several males throughout the day. Oblivious to human onlookers, the manatees remained in the shallow waters off the beach until dark. The photos seen here were taken by John Pfeifer age 9.

Fun Fact: Manatees do not pair for life. Their mating behavior has been mistaken for injuries or stranded herds of manatees. A female manatee in estrus which can last as long as 3 weeks can be detected by the male bull manatees which gather around her in a herd of animals. The female may mate with one or more males during this time. Typically this herd will find shallow waters for mating and it is a sight to see, as the water comes alive with flippers and flukes spashing in all directions. Manatees don't reach sexual maturity until they are about 5 years of age, and on average only one baby calf is born every 5 years. The gestitation period is about a year and the baby calf is nursed by the mother for 2 years.

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