WHERE DO MANATEES LIVE?
Did you know that manatees live all over the place? That’s because they migrate from Virginia to Florida. They used to range from Brazil to Florida. Manatees can be found in warm tropical and subtropical waters. These animals can only survive in water at the temperature of 68 degrees or lower. In the summer months manatees can be found in Louisiana. That’s the farthest west they will travel. These mammals are rarely found in the Bahamas. Manatees sometimes will start migrating in the spring. Recently most manatees have been swimming in the discharged water from power plants to keep warm . Cape Canaveral, Riviera, Port Everglades, and Fort Myers are 4 power plants where more than 200 manatees have been signaled during very cold winters. During the winter months manatees migrate from November through March for the winter. When migrating the manatees normal speed is 3 to 5 m.p.h. Manatees can also swim 20 m.p.h. in small bursts. One manatee swam 42 miles in one day. As for the babies, when they get tired they ride on their moms’ backs and when they sleep they can go up for air and stay sleeping. If you would like to see these wonderful creatures go to Crystal River in Florida. It’s a wonderful siting spot.