It's Manatee Awareness Month! During this time of the year, manatees are on the move and it is critical you are aware of their movement and needs to improve their chances of survival.
The sea cows, as they also are known, are looking for warmer waters. They can only be in waters cooler than 68 degrees for a short time, so once the water temperatures start cooling down, they migrate to regions of warmer waters.
It is important that you know that disturbing them might cause them to move from their preferred warm water habitat into cooler waters, which would put them in a dangerous place for them to survive.
It is important that you know that disturbing them might cause them to move from their preferred warm water habitat into cooler waters, which would put them in a dangerous place for them to survive.
Also, boaters must follow the guidelines and signage, and stay away from the marked manatee protection zones. See zones here.
When boating or enjoying water activities, it is recommended you wear polarized sunglasses to spot them moving and resting in the water. Manatees often leave circular “footprints” or ripples
on the surface of the water.
on the surface of the water.
There are over 7,000 manatees in Florida that depend on all of us to keep them safe and thriving.
Here are 9 facts about manatees:
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
- Chief meteorologist Tom Terry
- Brian Shields
- Irene Sans
- Kassandra Crimi
- George Waldenberger
- Rusty McCranie
Cox Media Group
