Mega Marine Mammals
To celebrate Manatee Awareness Month this November, we’ve put together some of our favourite facts about manatees. These large grey marine mammals have been nicknamed sea cows. You might be able to see why when you learn about their size, movement, and diet! Keep reading to learn all about these incredible animals.
All About Manatees
- Manatees are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. They can spend up to eight hours a day grazing on vegetation like seagrass, eating up to 9 percent of their body weight in a day!
- Manatees are marine mammals, meaning they have lungs just like us. Most of the time they will come up to the surface every few minutes to breathe but can hold their breathe for up to 20 minutes.
- The closest relatives to the manatee family are elephants, they evolved from the same land animals over 50 million years ago.
- Manatees are in no rush; they only move up to 5 miles per hour.
- Algae grows on the skin of a manatee. Algae is a marine plant and as manatees swim so slowly, they make a suitable place for the plant to settle and grow.
- Manatee mums can be pregnant for an entire year. Once their calf is born, they will feed on milk and stay with their mum for up to two years.
- Manatees use sounds, described as chirps and squeaks, to communicate with each other.
- Manatees are important to us as humans as well as the environment, they keep water ways clear of vegetation as they graze.
Ready to start your ocean exploring journey? To sign up and become an Ocean Explorer today click here. While you wait for your first class, why not follow us on Facebook, where we regularly share fun facts, craft ideas and cute videos. You might also like to sign up to our monthly WiseKids newsletter for a monthly dose of marvellous marine-themed content straight to your inbox!
