West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus

Manatees are aquatic gentle giants, also (along with Dugongs) known as Seacows and Sirens. They are herbivorous (eating sea grass) and can move between salt and freshwater.

There are three species of Manatee: the West Indian/Antillean - shown here - from Florida to the Caribbean, the Amazonian in the Amazon Basin (freshwater) and the West African.

Manatees are generally solitary (unless mating or raising young - mother and baby shown above).

They can reach 4 metres long and can weigh nearly 600Kg. They are intelligent and non-aggressive.

Manatees have large, rounded tails, unlike the Dugongs of the Indian and Pacific Ocean coasts which have split triangular tails like fish and whales.

Manatees are at risk from habitat loss and from boat/ship strikes or entanglement in manmade structures.