History
Fossils from sirenians have been found around the world, but Florida and the Caribbean are the only areas known to have examples from every era dating 50 million years ago to the present.
Over 35 species of sirenians have been known to exist, but only four species in two families exist today. Three of those species are manatees, the fourth in the dugong family. The Amazonian Manatee is strictly freshwater, smaller and faster than the other two species. The West African is somewhat larger than the Amazonian, but has a lifestyle more similar to the one we see in Florida. The Florida Manatee is actually called the West Indian Manatee because the geographic area it covers begins in Florida and continues into the Caribbean.
Manatees today are warm water mammals, but the now extinct Stellar’s Sea Cow, was a cold water animal living in the Bering Sea near Siberia. The largest of the Manatees, they grew up to lengths of 25 feet and weighed over 5 tons. Discovered in the mid 1700s, the Stellar’s Sea Cow was hunted to extinction in less than 30 years.
The Legend
Greek and Roman mythology speak of a female enchantress who was half woman and half fish. This woman, called a “siren” is said to have beckoned sailors at sea. The legend also calls these woman “mermaids” and it is believed that what sailors actually saw were manatees. Columbus noted that the mermaids he saw were not as attractive as the artists renderings.
Lifestyle
Manatees are herbivores, feeding off sea grasses and aquatic plants. They have a low metabolic rate, but eat eight to ten hours a day. Their ability to regulate their buoyancy allows them to feed comfortably at different levels. Because their skin offers minimum protection against cold water, manatees migrate toward inland fresh water for the winter and back to salt water during the summer. Calves stay with their mother for about two years, first nursing and then learning how to find food and warm water. Florida is the only state where manatees can be found throughout the year.