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Florida Manatee

Trichechus manatus latirostris

Manatees are large, gray aquatic mammals that sometimes visit the Chesapeake Bay's shallow waters. (Tracy Colson/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

The Florida manatee is a large, gray aquatic mammal that occasionally visits the Chesapeake Bay’s shallow waters in summer.

Thick, grayish skin
Sparse hairs all over the body
Front flippers have jointed bones and 3-4 nails at the ends
Flexible, double-lobed upper lip covered with whiskers
Large, fan-like tail
Small, widely set eyes
Grows about 9-10 feet long and weighs 800-2,200 pounds. Females are larger than males.

Found in warm, shallow waters, including creeks, bays, rivers and canals
Prefers water that is approximately 10-16 feet deep
Often swims close to the water’s surface
Tolerates fresh, brackish and salt water
Moves to warmer areas when water temperatures fall below 68 degrees
Usually lives alone, but sometimes forms pairs or small groups of less than a dozen

Occasionally visits the Chesapeake Bay in summer
Has been sighted in several parts of the Bay, including Calvert County, Kent Narrows and Havre de Grace, Maryland

Feeds on bay grasses such as coontail, eelgrass, hydrilla and Eurasian watermilfoil
Eats approximately 8-10 percent of its body weight every day
Uses its specialized lips to grasp plants and pass food into its mouth

Very few natural predators
Humans are manatees’ greatest threat. Manatees can become tangled in fishing nets or accidentally hit by boat propellers.

Males form mating herds of up to 20 manatees. The herd pursues a female that is ready to reproduce.
The gestation period lasts 12-14 months
Females gives birth to a single calf, which is usually able to swim within an hour
Calves depend on their mothers for about two months. They drink her milk for about three weeks before starting to eat plants.
Usually lives about 8-11 years in the wild, but can live up to 60 years

Also known as sea cows
Like all other mammals, manatees breathe air from the atmosphere. They can stay underwater for about 15 minutes when they are resting, but when they are active they must resurface for air every 3-4 minutes.
Manatees move very slowly. They usually swim about 5 miles per hour, but can go faster for short periods of time.
Listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Scientists estimate there may only be 2,500 manatees left in the United States.
If you ever see a manatee in the Chesapeake Bay, contact the National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program to report your sighting. The aquarium monitors manatees in the Bay to help keep them safe.

Animal Diversity Web: Trichechus manatus – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Trichechus manatus latirostris – Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
Manatee – National Geographic
The Magnificent Manatee

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Chesapeake Bay Program