About the Enemies of the Manatee

The manatee is a large underwater mammal that resides in warm coastal regions throughout the world. The manatee has been known to have very few enemies, but the biggest threat to the manatee is the human species.

  1. Features

    • The manatee rarely comes in to contact with sharks in the waters that it resides in, but if confronted by a shark, the manatee is defenseless due to its large body and slower speed than most sharks. A shark has teeth that can puncture the skin of the manatee causing injury and even death. Another aquatic predator is the American alligator because of its aggressive behavior.

    Geography

    • The manatee reside in the coastal regions of the Amazon River in South America. It can also be found in the rivers and coastal waters of West Africa, West India and the Caribbean as well as the Caribbean Sea and northwestern Brazil. The manatee is a popular attraction with humans in the coastal waters of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

    Significance

    • Fishing injures manatees; hooks and fishing lines end up getting caught on the skin, neck and tail of the manatee. Boating is a serious threat to all manatees; boating accidents constitute 80 percent of all manatee deaths. Industries and people who dump unnatural waste and plastics into the sewers and water also contribute to long-term health problems for the manatee.

    Size

    • The manatee is one of the largest mammals in the ocean aside of sharks and whales, making it fearless among other water living animals. Because of its large size, it is hard for the manatee to remove itself from harm's way in a quick manner, making it an easy target for fast moving boats and jet skis. The manatee is also fearless of humans and can find itself getting stuck in shoreline fishing lines, docks and underwater man made equipment.

    Warning

    • The manatee is an endangered species and although many wildlife conservationists have posted signs around coves and other shallow inland areas to warn of potential danger to manatees, many still disobey those signs.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Limiting human pollution by using less plastics and reducing the dumping of unwanted items into the oceans and rivers are positive steps for the manatee environment. By obeying boating laws and fishing responsibly, there is a lesser chance that a manatee will become injured in the process.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The solution to saving the manatee and protecting it from enemies is to care for the manatee's environment. Watch for manatees before casting a fishing line. Keeping a watch out for manatees in boat marinas and no wake zones is essential in preventing deadly accidents. Contacting local industries near manatee areas to ask them to reduce their waste products into the ocean and river is a step communities can take to limit the manatees exposure to chemicals and unnatural byproducts.