Upworthy's book GOOD PEOPLE, now available - take a look!

Shop
 Explore 

manatees

Science

Wildlife officials throw 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day into the sea to save starving manatees

Photo by geoff trodd on Unsplash

Manatees, aka "sea cows," are starving to death in Florida so officials are staging an intervention.

Manatees are one of Earth's more oddly beloved creatures. They're cute in a "so ugly they're cute" kind of way, and their bulbous, slowly meandering bodies have earned them the nickname "sea cows." They are a migratory species, and in the U.S. they congregate mainly in the waters of Florida.

Sadly, manatees are also dying at an alarming rate after only being taken off the endangered species list in 2017. During the first nine months of 2021, nearly 10% of Florida's manatee population died—more than double the five-year average. Many of those deaths were due to water quality issues impacting the growth of seagrass, one of the manatee's primary food sources.

Boat strikes, habitat loss and toxic algae blooms also threaten the species, but far too many are dying of simple starvation. According to WUSF, at least 58% of the seagrass in the northern Indian River Lagoon has been lost since 2009, and at least 96% of the Banana River's seagrass is gone. Both river habitats have long served as winter homes for manatees.

To help stave off starvation, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have staged a salad intervention of sorts. CNN reports that around 350 manatees are currently coming to a temporary field response station in Cape Canaveral to get their daily servings of romaine and butter lettuce. Since the feeding program started, it has served between 25 and 800 manatees a day.

The sea cows salad bar serves up 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day, and officials say it's helping.

Bravo---more than 50,000 pounds of donated lettuce have been fed to starving Florida manatees to keep them alive this winter, thanks to a program directed by @MyFWC.pic.twitter.com/uIpl9l45Ly
— Lorenzo The Cat (@Lorenzo The Cat) 1645041606

"At this point in time, we have been successful. Manatees are eating the romaine," Ron Mezich of the FWC told CNN. "We are exposing [a] large amount of animals to this food source and we are making a difference." The lettuce has nutrients and digestible carbohydrates the sea cows need, he said.

The program has been funded largely through donations from the public and is slated to continue through March.

Hopefully, the FWC will see improvement in the manatee mortality numbers as a result of its efforts. As of February 11, there have already been 261 manatee deaths in the state, though most are still awaiting necropsies to determine the cause of death.

Hungry #manatees have eaten 25 TONS of lettuce from an emergency feeding program, started due to declining seagrass ecosystems. \nExperts discourage feeding wild animals, as they will associate humans with food. Instead, consider donating to a manatee org\nhttps://miami.cbslocal.com/2022/02/16/officials-starving-florida-manatees-fed-more-than-25-tons-of-lettuce/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/e0u21TaFU5
— The Miami Foundation (@The Miami Foundation) 1645128035

Everyone can take part in helping these gentle giants have a healthy future by following guidance for wise use of waterways, supporting legislation for wildlife protection, reducing and cleaning up pollution along beaches and waterways and encouraging leaders to take meaningful action on climate change.

Don't try to throw your own salad in the ocean to feed the manatees, though. Officials recommend leaving the lettuce to experts.

From Your Site Articles

Aerial camera captures dolphins hanging out with a huge aggregation of Florida manatees

See Through Canoe/YouTube

An aerial camera caught a delightful sight off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida last week, as a small pod of dolphins swam through a huge aggregation of manatees. As the dolphins make their way through the shallow waters, we see around 170 manatees just chilling, as manatees do. Then we get to see the dolphins show off their playfulness, as dolphins do.

The marine mammal mingling is particularly meaningful knowing how the manatee has struggled for survival.

170 Manatees and Some Jumping Dolphins in St Petersburg, FLwww.youtube.com

Florida manatees became protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1973, when their numbers were estimated to be between 800 and 1,000. By 1991, their population was still less than 1,300. But dedicated conservation and rehabilitation efforts in recent decades have increased that number to around 6,300. Manatees in Florida currently make up around half of the world's total manatee population.

The increase in numbers does come with a couple of caveats, however. Manatee populations are notoriously difficult to count accurately, so estimates are just that. The manatee was downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened" in 2017, but some advocates said that designation is misleading because the threats to its survival are still just as much of a problem.

The biggest threats manatees face are collisions with watercraft, habitat loss and degradation, fishing gear entanglement, human harassment, exposure to red tide, and climate change. The loss of the manatee's warm-water habitat is a vital long-term threat to the species, as it can't tolerate cold waters. Traditionally, they rely on natural springs to stay warm during cold weather, but urban and agricultural development has impacted many of Florida's natural artesian springs.

However, as far as conservation and rehabilitation goes, Florida manatees are a success story. Many groups, both within the government and non-profit sectors, work diligently to advocate for the protection of Florida manatees and educate people on how they can help. Seeing this large aggregation of manatees from above is a heartening reminder of how important that work has been.

The footage was captured by See Through Canoe, a company that sells transparent canoes and that shares videos of animal encounters off the Florida coast. They say that dolphins and manatees often swim in the same waters, but rarely interact directly. This summer, they shared a video of a small pod of dolphins actually seeming to play together—a phenomenon they say they've not seen in 30 years of observing these animals.

The Odd Pod. Dolphins and a Manatee Swimming and Playing Togetheryoutu.be

As human activity continues to impact the well-being and survival of creatures like the manatee, we can use videos like this as inspiration and incentive to implement more environmentally responsible habits. Seeing what we're saving by pushing for ecologically sound policies and practices can go a long way toward keeping the momentum going.

From Your Site Articles

You're probably already a manatee fan. If not, here are 22 reasons to become one.

Manatees are awesome.

Roly-poly pacifists, tropical underwater munch-machines, they look like something a kid would make out of Play-Doh. But there's a lot of cool stuff about them you might not know.

In the name of sea cows everywhere, here are 22 interesting facts about manatees.

1. There are three different species of manatee (and one dugong).

Image from psyberartist/Flickr.

There's the Amazonian manatee, the West Indian manatee, and the West African manatee. No points for guessing where each of them lives. They also have a single cousin, the dugong, which lives in the Indian and western Pacific oceans.

2. Their closest living relatives are elephants and hyraxes.

What a weird family. Images from U.S. Geological Survey, Oliver Wright, and Josski/Wikimedia Commons.

They split off over 50 million years ago though, so don't expect to see them all at the same family reunion.

3. Manatees love the tropics.

Image from pelican/Wikimedia Commons.

Though they look chubby, they don't have all that much fat, so they prefer swimming in warm water.

4. They've got big bellies...

Image from NASA/Wikimedia Commons.

Manatees are plant eaters, like horses, so their stomach and guts have evolved to digest tough plant matter. Up to 20% of their weight can come from their bellies alone.

5. ...and even bigger appetites.

Image from Eric Kilby/Flickr.

Open the buffet! Manatees chow down on about 10% of their body weight a day. That means a 1,000-pound manatee will eat about 100 pounds of plants every day!

6. They never have to visit a dentist, either.

OK, technically this one is a dugong. You got me. Image from Julien Willem/Wikimedia Commons.

Manatees replace their teeth throughout their lives. Their diet is pretty tough on their teeth (partly because they end up chewing on a lot of sand as they eat), so as their molars get worn down, new ones grow up behind them. It's like a conveyor belt of teeth.

7. Their pregnancies last a pretty long time.

This lil' baby is getting a drink. Manatee teats are located behind their arms. Image from USFWS/Wikimedia Commons.

A manatee is pregnant for about 12 months — that's not quite as long as the 22-month pregnancy of their distant relatives, the elephants, but it's longer than a human's nine! Their babies usually stick around for a year or two after the mom gives birth.

8. Once upon a time, people may have thought manatees were mermaids.

Image from U.S. Geological Survey/Wikimedia Commons.

Might be hard to believe, but it's true! Even people on Columbus' journey to North America got confused:

"On the previous day [Jan. 8, 1493], when the Admiral went to the Rio del Oro [in Haiti], he said he quite distinctly saw three mermaids, which rose well out of the sea; but they are not so beautiful as they are said to be, for their faces had some masculine traits."
— "Voyages of Columbus," page 218

The name for their scientific order — Sirenia — even comes from the sirens of Greek mythology who are sometimes described as mermaids.

9. They may also be named after breasts. Yes, breasts.

Image from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Animals/Flickr.

When Columbus got to the Caribbean, he found the Taíno people already living there. Their word for breast – manatí – is probably the origin of the animal's English name.

10. They're pretty slow...

Image from Jim Reid/Wikimedia Commons.

Manatees usually plod along at about 3-5 mph, although they can get up to 20 mph if they really try.

11. ...and they can get pretty old...

Snooty getting a birthday "cake" made of fruits and vegetables. Image from Netweave/Wikimedia Commons.

Snooty the manatee, who lives in the South Florida Museum's Parker Manatee Aquarium, is a venerable 67 years old.

12. ...but they're not dumb.

A curious young manatee inspects a kayak. Image from mwanner/Wikimedia Commons.

Manatees have relatively small brains for their bodies, but some scientists actually think it's the other way around — they have huge bodies for their brains! And some research has shown that they might be as good at experimental tasks as dolphins. They just look kind of dumb because they're a lot slower.

13. They used to have huge cousins.

Image from Biodiversity Heritage Library/Wikimedia Commons.

In the 18th century, explorers scouting around Alaska found 30-foot-long dugongs living in the Arctic waters. Known as Steller's sea cows, they ate the kelp that grew in the icy water.

Unfortunately, they went extinct soon afterward. Sailors discovered that, in addition to being huge, they were also delicious. And it wasn't just Europeans — there's evidence that Native Americans hunted them too.

14. They have no natural predators.

Image from Tanjila Ahmed/Flickr.

No other wild animal eats them. Good for them!

15. But that doesn't mean they're not in danger.

Whut? Image from Hans Stieglitz/Wikimedia Commons.

Though manatees are awesome, their populations have historically been dropping.

16. Humans are their biggest threat.

This manatee survived a run-in with a motor boat but bears the scars of its encounter. Image from Robert K. Bond/Wikimedia Commons.

Habitat loss is a big problem for manatees, as are run-ins with human objects or vehicles. Manatees can get stuck in fishing gear or accidentally eat fishing line. Motor boats are especially problematic, as manatees are too slow to get out of the way of their sharp propeller blades.

17. That's why the U.S. government protects them.

The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is home to many manatees. Image from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species/Flickr.

Three different laws help protect them: the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.

These laws make it illegal to kill or hurt a manatee in the United States.

18. Boating speed limits help too.

Image from Jim Reid/Wikimedia Commons.

Many waterways in manatee habitats now come with speed limits to give manatees time to get out of the way of propellers. People have also made manatee sanctuaries to make sure they have a home.

19. And there's good news: All those protections are starting to pay off.

Image from PublicDomainImages/Pixabay.

20. While there's still more work to be done, the number of manatees in the U.S. is starting to rise again.

Image from satemkemet/Flickr.

21. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just proposed that the West Indian manatee should be moved to "Threatened" from "Endangered."

Image from NOAA's National Ocean Service/Flickr.

"The manatee's recovery is incredibly encouraging and a great testament to the conservation actions of many," Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Regional Director Cindy Dohner said at a Miami Seaquarium event.

And don't worry – the manatees won't lose any of their protections.

22. They're a conservation success story!

Image from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species/Flickr.

Now that's something to smile about!

They're living, breathing (and not to mention adorable) proof that we can make a difference for our friends in need.

Of course, it's not over yet. By spreading the word, we can help raise awareness about them, the other manatee species, and all the other animals who need our protection! Hopefully, all of them can continue their successful rebound — just like the West Indian manatee.

From Your Site Articles

manatees

Wildlife officials throw 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day into the sea to save starving manatees

Aerial camera captures dolphins hanging out with a huge aggregation of Florida manatees

You're probably already a manatee fan. If not, here are 22 reasons to become one.

Manatees are awesome.

1. There are three different species of manatee (and one dugong).

2. Their closest living relatives are elephants and hyraxes.

3. Manatees love the tropics.

4. They've got big bellies...

5. ...and even bigger appetites.

6. They never have to visit a dentist, either.

7. Their pregnancies last a pretty long time.

8. Once upon a time, people may have thought manatees were mermaids.

9. They may also be named after breasts. Yes, breasts.

10. They're pretty slow...

11. ...and they can get pretty old...

12. ...but they're not dumb.

13. They used to have huge cousins.

14. They have no natural predators.

15. But that doesn't mean they're not in danger.

16. Humans are their biggest threat.

17. That's why the U.S. government protects them.

18. Boating speed limits help too.

19. And there's good news: All those protections are starting to pay off.

20. While there's still more work to be done, the number of manatees in the U.S. is starting to rise again.

21. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just proposed that the West Indian manatee should be moved to "Threatened" from "Endangered."

22. They're a conservation success story!

An OnlyFans star had sex with 101 men in a single day and shared how it affected her mental health

The 17 harsh truths about aging that people were never 'prepared' for

Woman with unfortunate initials warns parents to be more careful naming their kids

'Wicked' author reveals how one line in 'The Wizard of Oz' inspired Elphaba and Glinda's story

17 of the funniest photos from the 2021 Comedy Pet Photo Awards