The Incredibly Hard Life of Manatees | Animal Empires 101

Manatees begin to move from the cold open ocean to the warmer inland waters along the coast. Manatees are large marine mammals that belong to the order Cyrenaea. Cyrenaea is from the Latin siren or mermaid. The myth of a part woman, part fish has existed as long as there have been seafarers. Christopher Columbus himself wrote of the female forms that rose high out of the sea. Historians believe this is the first written record of a manatee sighting in these waters. Similar to flamingos, West Indian manatees range from the southeastern United States to the northern coast of South America. Manatees are slow moving and have a low metabolic rate. This leaves them vulnerable in the cold. Exposure to water temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius can lead to a condition called cold stress syndrome and even death. So, like the snowbirds that make the annual migration south for the winter, these manatees head for warmer climes. One popular destination is Sanibel Island off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida. Its warm water springs, lagoons and bayous offer ideal habitats to find a mate. But that habitat is shrinking and so too is the manatee population. It's estimated that there are fewer than 6,500 manatees in Florida. Few enough to be considered endangered. Because females give birth only once every two years, every chance to breed is crucial to sustaining their empire. In one of Sanibel Island's warm water springs, a female lays in wait. She has the full attention of multiple male suitors. A dozen bulls follow her, forming a mating herd. Within the herd, these males compete to become the first to mate. Like the macaques, more than one will have a chance at fathering her calf. It's a matter of playing the odds. For this female to have the best possible chance at conception, she will mate with multiple members of the herd. Three weeks later, the males disperse. Their part in the breeding process is complete. And it's been a success. This female is now pregnant. Her pregnancy will last a whole year. During this time, the mother manatee and her unborn calf are vulnerable. When these big mammals break the surface to breathe, they're an unwitting target for the hull or prop of a boat. Most of Florida's manatees bear distinctive scars to prove it. Locals say that not a single manatee has gone unscathed. This potential new manatee mother must be cautious and careful if she's to survive long enough to deliver the newborn now growing inside her. The inland waters of Florida's Sanibel Island are calm and quiet. It's been a year since the manatee mating herd dispersed. The pregnant female has managed to stay safe and secure in the warm, shallow waters of the mangroves. And she's now the proud mother of a new baby calf. Like most manatee births, her newborn is a single calf, just over one meter long and weighing between 25 and 30 kilograms. Within minutes of birth, the precocious newborn manatee calf is able to swim. Like all mammals, manatees need air to breathe. They hold their breath underwater while closing the flaps on their nostrils. They can stay submerged for as long as 20 minutes, but they'll usually go to the surface every five minutes to breathe. And while the newborn can swim to the surface on his own, he needs a bit of encouragement. An attentive mother is right alongside to make sure her baby does as nature intended. The calf begins to feed within a few hours after birth, nursing from teats located behind his mother's flippers. During nursing, the mother and calf bond is strong. West Indian manatees can grow as large as four meters long and weigh 500 kilograms, about as much as a grand piano. Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and given their size and shape, it's easy to see why. Their closest relative is, in fact, a four-legged land animal. But it's not the cow. It's the elephant. There's an unusual twist in this family tree. It's thought that manatees evolved from a land mammal and moved to the sea. The opposite of the usual evolution story that tells of animals leaving the water for land. Now, millions of years later, manatees have adapted to life in the sea. Unlike macaques and flamingos, by the time this newborn manatee takes his first breath, his father will be long gone. Mom will be the sole parent for the crucial first years of this vulnerable infant's life. The young manatee stays close to his mother's side at all times. While adults typically swim in single file, the calf will always travel parallel to his mother. Sticking close means mother and calf can stay in constant communication. Manatees are relatively quiet creatures, but they can emit a wide range of sounds. Mother and calf are especially talkative. The calf cries out when it's hungry or gets separated. This dependency will continue for as long as two years. During this time, mother manatee will serve as teacher. The young manatee is an attentive student, and he must be. There's lots to learn about migration routes, rest areas, and especially how to find food. These mammals are herbivores and eat a variety of plants. Mother manatee will eat 15% of her body weight every day. The newborn must learn to find enough food on his own if he's to make it past his second birthday. And foraging for food pushes the young manatee further into Florida's busy waterways and into the path of potential danger.