Our
first real swim with the manatees occurred in the springs
warm flow area just beyond the manatee sanctuary markers.
The air temperature was relatively warm for that time of
the year, meaning that the wild manatees where not in the
springs as heavily as they would normally be for early January.
(For all their size, manatees have very little body fat,
and must seek refuge at warm water sites during the winter
months, or risk catching cold or pneumonia which may kill
the animal.)
During our first swim we found few manatees eager to interact
with people - most seemed like they just wanted to rest.
We kept our distance and didn't interrupt - which was a
little disappointing.
One interesting behavior
I noticed that first day was how the manatee can fall asleep
almost in mid-swim, doing a nose-dive maneuver to a face-plant
on the river bottom, with a billow of sediment rising. It
seems that the "lights" would just go out and
the animal slowly fall to the bottom where it may rest for
several minutes before rising for air.
I also learned that some manatees don't seem to wake-up
when it's time to rise and take new air in. They would rise
and loudly exhale, then equally loudly inhale, nostrils
then closed and the animal would again sink to the floor
- resuming it's three-point stance, oblivious to the swimmers
around him.
Manatees do not
exhale underwater, instead they use that air to help them
rise to the surface and take the next breath. They must
have incredible control of their lungs, and can shift the
air around inside their bodies to control their buoyancy
seemingly effortlessly. Dr. Lowe had explained the day before
how the manatee's large ribs do not contain a marrow core
- instead they are solid bone - adding needed weight to
the animal for "ballast".
One interesting behavior
I noticed that first day was how the manatee can fall asleep
almost in mid-swim, doing a nose-dive maneuver to a face-plant
on the river bottom, with a billow of sediment rising. It
seems that the "lights" would just go out and
the animal slowly fall to the bottom where it may rest for
several minutes before rising for air.
Manatees do not
exhale underwater, instead they use that air to help them
rise to the surface and take the next breath. They must
have incredible control of their lungs, and can shift the
air around inside their bodies to control their buoyancy
seemingly effortlessly. Dr. Lowe had explained the day before
how the manatee's large ribs do not contain a marrow core
- instead they are solid bone - adding needed weight to
the animal for "ballast".
