Manatee predators full#

Sharks or killer whales or alligators or crocodiles could eat them, but since they don’t usually inhabit the same waters, this is pretty rare. Manatees don’t really have any real predators. That’s really close to the average walking speed of humans! In spite of their huge size, manatees are incredibly graceful swimmers – their average speed being about 3-5 miles per hour.

How can a manatee hang ten? By bodysurfing, of course! Manatees love to ride the rushing currents caused by open floodgates. Who can hold their breath longer? Don’t even try to compete with the manatee! It can hold its breath underwater for up to 20 minutes! Generally it surfaces to take a breath every 3 to 5 minutes.

Manatee predators full#

For the average manatee that’s about 3 bathtubs full of spinach!! Thanks to their low metabolism, manatees have to eat pounds and pounds of plants each day – enough to equal 10 to 15% of their body weight. That leaves around 4 hours for goofing off, socializing, traveling or maybe sleeping and eating some more! There’s 10-12 hours spent sleeping and resting, and 8 hours spent eating. Each day presents a full schedule of activity for the manatee. Herbiforific! The river is full of vegetation! Time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe a snack or two. Warm, bubbling springs keep the water at 72 degrees the entire winter – it’s a giant manatee Jacuzzi! Leaving the shallow salt-water surroundings of the Gulf Coast, Florida manatees make their way to fresh-water rivers. Water temperatures lower than 68 degrees can be fatal to manatees!

They don’t have sufficient blubber to keep them warm. So if the water starts to get cold, the manatee is on the move – migrating to warmer temperatures.īecause of its greater density, water conducts heat away from the body 25 times faster than air! And although manatees are big, they’re not fat. Manatees are sirenians – and like whales, dolphins, and mythological mermaids, they never leave the water … however, they don’t have long hair, musical harps, or underwater kingdoms. What’s that in the distance? Its voice … it’s so soothing … and its shape – It’s not exactly human, but, after being away at sea for so long … could it be? Yes! It’s a mermaid!! Legend tells of sailors sighting mermaids on their long journeys in the South Seas – but what they most likely were seeing … were manatees! Sharks or alligators have killed a few smaller manatees, but since they dont normally live in the same waters, this is fairly unusual.