Did You Know?
Manatees are mammals and breath air throughtheir noses at the surface - with nostrils which close tightly when submerged. They breath every few minutes when active or swimming, and every 10 to 15 minutes when resting. They are capable of exchanging 98% of their lungs capacity in one breath. Their lungs are very large, and are also used for buoyancy control. The rushing sound of a deep exhaleand breath sound much like a snorkeler. This sound, and the associated 'footprint' left by the manatees tail and body at the surface are clues which reveal the presence of manatees in the area.
Call the Wildlife Alert Hotline 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC/#FWC, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio if you see an injured, dead, tagged, or orphaned manatee, or if you see a manatee being harassed.
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