Manatees
Words: Jake Lemkowitz
Image courtesy of: SaveTheManatee.org
Image courtesy of: SaveTheManatee.org
West Indian Manatees are giant gentle marine mammals that just want to float around warm water and eat plants all day. Girls dig them because they have a face like a bulldog, a body like a big fat dolphin, a tail like a beaver, and whiskers. They also have extremely human-like eyes, which is why sailors used to mistake them for mermaids. Although, these animals have no natural enemies, they are in danger of disappearing completely. There are only about 3,000 left in the United States. It’s a shame.
Most manatee deaths occur because people accidentally run them over with speedboats, and almost any manatee you find in Florida will have scars from old propeller wounds. This makes manatees sound like they are total bad asses, but actually they are wimps. Just touching one in the wild can cause it to get scared. In the winter months it might flee into colder waters, where manatees are extremely susceptible to harm. If you get caught trying to ride a manatee, the fine can be up to $100,000.
Don’t even think about killing a manatee and eating it. Manatees used to be widely hunted for their meat, but this is obviously now outlawed. It’s not going down in Miami anymore at least, but in some countries like Columbia and Belize, manatee poaching is not uncommon. The taste is described as a cross between very tender beef and pork. To be honest, it sounds kind of good.
If you want to help the plight of the manatee, you can adopt one online at SaveTheManatee.org.
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