What are manatees?

Manatees are marine mammals, though you might also hear them called sea cows. The nickname comes from their slow-moving nature and their habit of grazing on aquatic plants.

Even so, manatees have more in common genetically with elephants than cows. Both manatees and elephants evolved from a common ancestor known as tethytheria. While elephants stayed on land, the early ancestors of manatees adapted to life in the water.

Manatees helped inspire mermaid stories

Mermaid stories appear in myths and legends across many cultures. Over the years, sailors and explorers sometimes mistook real ocean animals for mythical sea creatures.

On January 9, 1493, Christopher Columbus wrote about seeing three mermaids near North America. His description suggests those “mermaids” were likely manatees.

Manatees belong to the order Sirenia, a name connected to sirens from Greek mythology. Unlike dangerous mythical sirens, manatees are calm, gentle animals.

Do not touch, chase, ride, or bother a manatee

Manatees are protected animals, and conservation rules matter. The Marine Mammal Protection Act helps protect marine mammals from human harm, including harassment and disturbance.

In Florida, manatees also have protection under the Manatee Sanctuary Act. This law makes it illegal to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb a manatee.

Small brains do not mean small ability

Manatees have a small brain compared with their body size. In fact, they have one of the smallest brain-to-body ratios among marine mammals.

That does not mean they are unintelligent. Research has shown manatees are capable learners. They may move slowly, but they still respond, learn, and adapt.

Scientists also learned something every manatee fan already understands: manatees do things at manatee speed.

Manatees have huge lungs

Manatees spend much of their time underwater, but they still breathe air. Many surface every few minutes, though they are able to stay underwater longer when resting.

Their lungs work in a powerful way. A manatee replaces a large amount of air with each breath, which helps it stay underwater longer than a human.