On the Trail: Mustering manatee

Today as I hit the trail for another one of my adventures, you'll find me deep in the rivers of the Ten Thousand Islands teaching a group about the habits and patterns of the Florida manatee. Despite sporting a face and figure only a mother could love, it seems there's no denying their popularity across all age spectrums.

The Florida manatee, which is actually a sub-species of the West Indian manatee, is one of four species found throughout the world. At one time there were five species of manatee, but today all that remain are the Dugong of Northern Australia, the West African, the Amazonian and of course the West Indian.

The normal range of the West Indian manatee is from Florida to Brazil including the Caribbean Islands and Central America. Through the by-products of modern technology (warm water discharge plants) their range in the United States has increased to include the Carolinas.

Manatees by definition are marine mammals and are protected under state and federal law. Just like a dolphin, it's illegal to harass, feed or take one in the United States without a special permit. Penalties can reach into the tens of thousands and because they're currently an endangered species, additional fines and jail time will likely follow.

Nicknamed the sea cow, a manatee's diet consists of vegetation which classifies them as an herbivore. Like their nickname suggests, they spend most of their day grazing on aquatic grasses consuming as much as 100 pounds! The largest Manatee on record weighed an astounding 3,500 pounds! Despite their exhausting eating habits, manatees have a slow metabolism and a thin layer of fat making them susceptible to hypothermia. This occurs when water temperatures dip below 68 degrees.

Here in Southwest Florida, it's common to have temperatures (water) below that number for several weeks. As a result, hundreds need to migrate during the winter to find warm water sources.

Unlike Fort Myers and Port St. Lucie, there are no warm water power plants to seek refuge. This leaves the remote backcountry rivers of the Ten Thousand Islands as their only means of survival. Here water temps can be three to seven degrees above the Gulf of Mexico. The Faka Union River, located at Port of the Islands, is by far the most popular.

Ironically, this river was actually constructed to drain the everglades several years ago. I often wonder if the original builders had the intention of creating a manatee sanctuary. On any given day there could be as many as a hundred huddled together.

In the warmer months, most of the population returns to the coast where they spend their time feeding on the abundant sea grasses. Contrary to what most would believe, I estimate from Caxambas Pass to Cape Romano there are anywhere from 20 to 40 manatees swimming through the channels daily.

Unfortunately this is where accidental collisions occur, not always from careless boaters, but from those who don't realize the large population living so close to Marco Island.

Look for an upcoming article on how to recognize signs that will help avoid collisions with these special animals.