Manatees No Longer Endangered

For as long as I can remember, Manatees have always been endangered. Many laws and efforts have tried to raise the population. I remember being in Florida, and across the street was a canal, and in the mornings Manatees would swim in the shallows. Even though they would get close enough to touch them, you could get arrested for doing that.
But, finally after many years of trying, researchers believe that the Manatee name should be taken off of the endangered list. It's population has rebounded dramatically, especially in Florida. Manatees were named endangered over fifty years ago after being overhunted and killed by collisions with boats. Now there are more than 6,300 in Florida, and the whole population is around 13,000 manatees in that range which also includes the Caribbean and the northern coasts of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.
Populations that were in direct threat have had significant improvement in their habitats and ecosystems. Because of this, the entire population has become 500 percent higher. And continues to improve.


 

 

Facts about Manatees:

• Manatees feed on sea grass and come up for air every 15 minutes or so.
• They can reach 13 feet in length and weigh up to 1,300 pounds
• Their lifespan is usually about 40 years on average
• They can swim up to 19 mph