Manatee Facts | Facts about Manatees

What are manatees most closely related to?

The manatee's closest living relatives are elephants.

Christopher Columbus reported seeing "mermaids" in 1493 that were probably manatees.

The manatee is Florida's official state marine mammal.

Scientists identify individual manatees by scars from boat propellers.

Manatees eat about 10% to 15% of their body weight every day.

Manatees gather near power plants in winter for the warm water.

Manatees constantly replace their teeth, which move forward in a process called "marching molars."

Manatees are called "sea cows" because they graze on plants.

Manatees were reclassified from endangered to threatened in 2017.

Resting manatees can hold their breath for up to about 20 minutes.