As the Gulf of Mexico waters cool, more Manatees are moving into the shallow bay waters and canals around Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Closely related to the elephant, manatees are “gentle giants” of the sea which reach an average length of 10 feet and 1000 pounds as adults. Their diet consists of sea grasses which they consume for nearly 6 to 8 hours a day. The rest of a manatee’s day is spent sleeping or moving slowly. It’s vitally important to remember that these endangered creatures can’t dive quickly enough to evade the props of a speeding boat. Even while sleeping, they must return to the surface to breathe every 15 or 20 minutes.
Manatees also need fresh drinking water to survive. Many will congregate in marinas where a man-made source of fresh water can be found easily such as hose running on a dock or a drain for storm water run off. Trying to attract Manatees with a fresh water source can prove fatal for the animals if they become dependent on that source of water and it is removed. It’s important that manatees locate natural rivers and creeks for their fresh water needs. The photos here are show a manatee drinking from a running hose and later resting on the bottom with her calf.