Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and their languid pace

lends merit to the comparison.

Aquatic Life
However, despite their massive bulk, they are graceful swimmers in
coastal waters and rivers. Powering themselves with their strong
tails, manatees typically glide along at 5 miles an hour but can swim
15 miles an hour in short bursts.

Manatees are usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups of a half

dozen or fewer animals. From above the water's surface, the animal's
nose and nostrils are often the only thing visible. Manatees never
leave the water but, like all marine mammals, they must breathe air
at the surface. A resting manatee can remain submerged for up to 15
minutes, but while swimming, it must surface every three or four
minutes.
This West Indian manatee was photographed at Dallas World Aquarium in Texas. Manatees live in
warm waters. In the summers, many will leave their southern homes to explore more northern
channels and shorelines.

 
 

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK

Manatee Populations
There are three species of manatee, distinguished primarily by where
they live. The West Indian manatee ranges along the North American
east coast from Florida to Brazil. The Amazonian manatee species
inhabit the Amazon River and the African manatee swims along the
west coast and rivers of Africa.

Parenting and Diet

Manatees are born underwater. Mothers must help their calves to the
surface so that they can take their first breath, but the infants can
typically swim on their own only an hour later.

Manatee calves drink their mothers' milk, but adults are voracious
grazers. They eat water grasses, weeds, and algae—and lots of them.
A manatee can eat a tenth of its own massive weight in just 24 hours.

Threats to Survival
Manatees are large, slow-moving animals that frequent coastal
waters and rivers. These attributes make them vulnerable to hunters
seeking their hides, oil, and bones. Manatee numbers declined
throughout the last century, mostly because of hunting pressure.
Today, manatees are at-risk. Though protected by laws, they still face
threats. The gentle beasts are often accidentally hit by motorboats in
ever more crowded waters, and sometimes become entangled in
fishing nets.