Greetings! Well it’s that historical time of year again when we celebrate our nation’s birthday! Can you believe the USA is now 243 years old? The Fourth of July is also known as Independence Day or simply July 4th. This historic day has actually been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941. However, traditionally Fourth of…
Seagrasses are the main food source for the vegetarian diet of manatees. Seagrasses can also be found in many locations of our planet, from the waters right here in Florida, to other global tropical regions, and as far north as the Arctic Circle. Greetings to you! St. Patrick’s Day is almost here and I thought it…
Elephants are huge, weighing up to 8 tons. Their spectacular evolution includes unique genetic processes which result in them rarely getting cancer. [Photo: C.E. Timothy Paine] Greetings! Yes, it’s true manatees and elephants are closely related. And elephants rarely get cancer! In fact, manatees also hardly ever get cancer. It is cold stress, which is…
Manatees are enjoying the warm balmy water of Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida. Greetings! Here is part 2 of my Marvelous Manatee Facts for you! Now take a look at another 11 fascinating facts all about us manatees… Manatees are Marine Mammals Manatees and dugongs are marine mammals. Marine means we live…
The largest Sirenian that ever existed was the extraordinary Steller’s Sea Cow. It measured 30 feet in length and weighed in at 10 tons. Greetings! Today I’d like to talk about the extraordinary Steller’s sea cow, which as the largest only cold-water member in the scientific order Sirenia. In this scientific order, you will also…
Of the 72 species of seagrasses found on the planet, seven grow in Florida’s waters. Photo Credit – NOAA Greetings! That’s right, seagrass actually flowers! And as you may already know, it is the favorite food of us manatees! Even though it’s called, seagrass, seagrasses are actually not “grasses” at all because they flower! And…
In an earlier blog, I discussed the great news that the manatee population in Florida has been slowing increasing over this past year. Cheers! Now – here’s where it gets even more interesting… …Are some of us friendly manatees vacationing in Cuba during winter? There are no accurate records of just how many manatees are…
Because of increased watercraft traffic forecasted this season, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with other local Florida agencies helping to protect us endangered manatees. The beautiful waterways in Jacksonville total an amazing 125 square miles. With that amount of water real estate, odds are pretty good that you will encounter a manatee. Jacksonville…
It’s time to celebrate again! Watercraft collisions with manatees are down this season! Our manatee season closed on March 31st when the slow-speed zones for us ended. We’re now heading out into the open waters eating seagrass and enjoying much larger real estate to swim in! The slow-speed zones will go into effect again on…
Manatee interaction at Three Sisters Springs in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Photo Courtesy Scott Audette/Reuters Manatee interaction looks gentle enough at Three Sisters Springs in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. And I’m told the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who manage the refuge allow swimming and touching of manatees. However a lawsuit…
