Manatees: The Endangered Species
- The CLV Phoenix
- Mar 17
- 2 min read
By Samiya Catlin
There are three manatee species worldwide – West Indian, West African, and Amazonian, but sadly all three are listed as vulnerable to extinction. But how did these beautiful marine species end up vulnerable to extinction?
There are two major threats to manatees. These include loss of habitat and collisions with boats and ships. Sadly, another threat is hunting. Manatees have been hunted for their meat, fat and blubber in the past. Some still are in areas in the Caribbean but luckily most are protected now.
But now, people are coming together to support manatees and keep them far away from extinction. For example, zoos all over the world are trying to breed manatee calves and there are a number of different charities that a person, just like you, could support. Some include: International Rescue Fund and Save the Manatee, or you could even sponsor or adopt a manatee!
But what is a manatee, I hear you ask? Manatees are large, fully aquatic animals, sometimes known as sea cows. They measure up to 4.0 metres long, weigh as much as 590 kilograms and have paddle-like tails. Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different freshwater and saltwater plants. Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin, and West Africa. Apart from mothers with their young, or males following a female, manatees are generally solitary animals. Manatees spend approximately 50% of the day sleeping submerged, surfacing for air regularly at intervals of less than 20 minutes. The remainder of the time is mostly spent grazing in shallow waters at depths of 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in). The Florida species have been known to live up to 60 years.
In conclusion, I believe that we NEED to keep manatees alive. If every one who reads this donates a pound a month, we can keep these beautiful creatures on our planet. They don’t deserve to go extinct. Don’t be the one to let them die.
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