Florida Manatees

Girls' Weekend April 2009: Six women survived the weekend together, not only did we survive, we had lots of fun, relaxation on the deck, and enjoyed each other's company. We spent one day at Honeymoon State Beach enjoying the glorious sun and water. My sister and I found some great shells. Only one of us didn't respect the sun and the damage it can do to your skin.

The next day we visited Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and said hello to the manatees along with a lot of other birds and animals who have been injured. Did you know manatees, gentle giants, see colors, they are vegetarians, and are related to elephants? The manatee's closest land relatives are the elephant and the hyrax, a small, gopher-sized mammal. They like warm water, about 72 degrees. In this photo they are being treated to carrots.

Manatees are gentle and slow-moving. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and in travel. Manatees are completely herbivorous. They eat aquatic plants and can consume 10-15% of their body weight daily in vegetation. They graze for food along water bottoms and on the surface. They may rest submerged at the bottom or just below the surface, coming up to breathe on the average of every three to five minutes. When manatees are using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breathe as often as every 30 seconds. When resting, manatees have been known to stay submerged for up to 20 minutes.

The Florida Manatee Recovery Plan was developed as a result of the Endangered Species Act. The recovery plan is coordinated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and sets forth a list of tasks geared toward recovering manatees from their current endangered status.