West Indian Manatee

Manatees, along with dugongs, are the only remaining species of the Sirenia order in the Animal Kingdom. They are slow moving and peaceful animals who feed on sea grass along the coast line and in quiet rivers. Usually drawn by their curiosity and friendliness they approach boats, divers and swimmers alike. Mother manatees carry their babies in their arms and breast feed them in the water just like a human mother does.

There are less than 5,000 West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the entire Caribbean, Central America, South and East coast of North America and North shores of South America, with less than 2,500 adult individuals in each of its two supespecies: The Antillean Manatee and the Florida Manatee.

But their situation is even more critical as many live in isolated groups with numbers dwindling every year.

In the Dominican Republic, there is a disappearing population of less than 70 individuals and 4 deaths have been reported in the first three months 2008 (source: National Aquarium).

The mother manatee gives birth to one manatee after a pregnancy of 13 months and breast feeds the baby manatee for two years, which means she can only breed once in approximately every 4 years.

While the Florida Manatee is threatened by water contamination and fast boats in their habitats, the Antillean Manatee is still hunted for its meat and bones.

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