“Manatees eat a variety of aquatic vegetation based on where they are located. They have been documented eating over 60 different varieties of vegetation including turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, mangrove leaves, water hyacinth, hydrilla, and eelgrass. ”
Manatees are large, gentle aquatic mammals that inhabit the coastal regions of the United States, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Islands. They are sometimes called sea cows due to their slow and peaceful nature.
Manatees are primarily herbivores and can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, and coastal areas in either freshwater or saltwater. They are typically 9-10 feet long and have an average body weight of 1000 pounds. They eat approximately 4-9% of their body weight in vegetation daily!
Manatees eat a variety of aquatic vegetation based on where they are located. They have been documented eating over 60 different varieties of vegetation including turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, mangrove leaves, water hyacinth, hydrilla, and eelgrass.
How Do Manatees Find Food?
Manatees have very poor vision and have trouble seeing where their favorite food sources out. Luckily, manatees have over 2000 sensitive whiskers on their faces called vibrissae to feel for food in the water. With this special adaptation, they can discover seagrass as they float through different freshwater and saltwater habitats.
How often do manatees eat?
In ideal conditions, Manatees spend up to 8 hours a day grazing on aquatic plants. But when the weather is cold and the water temperatures drop, manatees will move to warm water sources where there may not be enough food. During these times, manatees conserve their energy and can survive weeks without eating.
Do manatees eat lettuce or cabbage?
Manatees do not naturally eat lettuce, cabbage, or other vegetation growing on the land. However, in captivity or rehabilitation, they learn to eat romaine, iceberg lettuce, and cabbage to supplement their diet!
Are manatees starving in Florida?
Florida is a big state with lots of coastlines and different areas have different problems.
During the winter of 2021-2022, the Indian River Lagoon (on Florida's east coast) had many manatees starved due to a lack of seagrasses. It is illegal to feed manatees in the wild, but Wildlife officials with proper approval implemented a program to safely feed the manatees in this area Florida-grown lettuce to help them survive. This program helped the immediate need, but the lack of seagrass will continue to be a problem for this area.
However, the manatee population in the Crystal River area is thriving! The Crystal River area has been undergoing an eelgrass restoration project since 2015 that has been hugely successful at growing eel grass in Crystal River, Florida, which keeps the manatees happy and healthy!
Why is it illegal to feed manatees?
While manatees will most likely eat plants given to them, it is illegal because it creates a pattern of looking to people for food. If a manatee were to get food at the same dock every day, it might come to depend on that food source. But if that source disappears, they will not have natural alternatives in place to survive on their own.
Can I bring lettuce on a swim with the manatee tour?
Not unless you want a ticket! One of Florida's most unforgettable experiences is swimming with manatees in Crystal River, FL and you may wonder how tours find manatees without feeding them. The best tours in the area have experienced guides and Captains that know exactly what to look for. There are resident manatees that have plenty of natural grass in the area to graze on and these manatees can be found almost daily! Give River Ventures a call to book a tour and learn even more about the Florida Manatee and experience firsthand the eating habits of a manatee.