Description of the Florida Manatee

The Florida manatee is a large marine mammal that resides in the shallow coastal waters of Florida. They are generally three to four meters long and weight around 450 to 550 kilograms. They have two pectoral flippers, one on each side of its body, but its main appendage used for movement is its round, wide, horizontally flattened tail. Manatees aren’t fast swimmers, and can reach speeds up to only about 25km/hour. Since they breathe air, they prefer water depths of one to four meters and their nostrils are on the top of their whiskered-covered snout. Manatees have a very slow metabolism, which makes them more susceptible to cold water temperatures. Due to these characteristics of their anatomy, the manatee is a vulnerable organism, and often has difficulties protecting themselves when confronted with a situation.