The West Indian manatee was discovered in the 1500s by Spanish explorers that hunted them for their meat, hide and oils. Hunted almost to extinction, Florida banned the hunting of manatees in 1893.
The official "season" for Florida Manatee is October 31st to March 31st. But there are Manatee that stay in certain areas all year.
In warmer months manatees spend most of their time at sea and out of harm's way, but from October 31st to March 31st, the colder weather drives them inland to places where they can find warm water. Florida's Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge supports the largest concentration of manatees in a natural spring area, all year round. During the summer months the best time to catch them is in the morning when they are frolicking and sunning.
They usually stay in one area when they are in the "morning mode" and can be approached quite easily. In the afternoon, when the sun is hot they stay mainly on the bottom or are on the move for food. Approaching the manatee when they are eating or on the move is prohibited by Florida law. Fines of up to $100,000.00 can be imposed for harassment.
When the air temperature drops below the water temperature of 72 degrees (72 degrees is the year round temperature for Crystal River) for several days, hundreds upon hundreds of manatee are in river. Best sightings are on the coldest days of the year. In 2000, a statewide count reported a total of over 3700 manatees, up from the previous estimated count of 2700!
On the negative side we lost 325 manatees in 2001 and 305 in 2002 most because killed by motor boats when they surface to breathe.
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More Manatee facts click HERE!
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Additional Information at: http://www.scubacrystalriver.com
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Manatee Facts: At http://www.scubatampa.com/manateefacts.html
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FAQs Spring/Manatee: http://www.scubatampa.com/faqsspring.html
