A recent trip to the Manatee rehabilitation center at Zoo Tampa in Lowry Park reminded me how extensive is the continual struggle to preserve the Florida manatee, one of two West Indian manatee species.  The underwater observation area is always packed with families watching the manatees dining on vegetation.

Who doesn’t love looking at a huge creature with a pig-like face funneling lettuce into their mouth with the help to two small fin-like hands?

ZooTampa is a major manatee rehab like Orlando’s Sea World, the Jacksonville Zoo, the Miami Seaquarium, and Homosassa Springs State Park.  When possible, these manatees will be returned to their original rescue spot. There is also a dozen temporary or short-term centers for injured manatees, such as Dolphin Research in the Keys.

The last few years have been hard ones for the Florida manatee. In 2021 some 1,100 manatees died, including a mass carnage in the Indian River area.  Last year the toll was around 800.

There is an image that manatees die mainly from collisions with watercraft.  Of the 800-manatee toll in 2022, just 76 deaths were caused by boats. 150 died of natural causes and 73 died of perinatal issues (often malnutrition). Fully one-half of all deaths are not necropolis due to location, time of death, and condition of the corpse.

Today, the most serious danger to the Florida manatee is the declining amount of sea grass in the Indian River Lagoon, Tampa Bay, Florida Bay, Sarasota Bay, and dozens of other coastal waterways. An adult manatee must eat 120 pounds of sea grass to preserve their adorably plumb bodies.  Restoring just a single acre of vegetation can cost $20,000.

Fortunately, the manatee can argue that they are well-worth the financial investment. Florida’s 100+ million tourists are rarely going to see a Florida panther or black bear roaming in the wild, but manatees have become big tourist attractions.

Manatees can not take cold water under 68 degrees F so they head from coastal areas up rivers and canals to warmer places like Florida’s many 72 degree springs.  Winter visitors go to Blue Springs State Park north of Orlando, Weeki Wachee State Park in Spring Hill, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs south of Tallahassee, Manatee Springs State Park (Chiefland) and more.

Other manatees head for the warming waters of power plants such as Tampa Electric’s Manatee Center, the Lee County Manatee Park, or Manatee Lagoon at West Palm Beach.

Decades ago, some attractions and tours offered swimming with dolphins; now people want to swim with manatees.  Crystal River and Kings Bay have numerous underwater year-round manatee tours. Other places allow kayaks and canoes near manatee but no divers.

Despite their slow, casual disposition, humans should not touch or interfere in the movement of manatees.  And never get between a mother manatee and her calf unless you want to feel the power of a 1500-pound living torpedo.

So, the next time you think about where to go in Florida – THINK MANATEE.  And consider the Save The Manatee Fund (www.savethemanatee.org) and buying a Florida manatee plate from your LOCAL tax collector’s office.  The plates have raised $50 million dollars to help the Florida manatee.