Manatee's Spotted Near Tampa Bay

We are staying in an RV park on Tampa Bay, and I spot a few Manatees cruising down the river. Theses manatees are on their way from an internal river and headed directly into Tampa Bay. While Manatees typically move fairly slowly, they can pick up the pace when they are trying to get somewhere in a hurry.

You may call them sea cows, but manatees are one of the most gentle creatures. They can be found all over the coast of Florida, where you can canoe or kayak alongside them. But you can also find mantees directly from the bank of a river. If you swim, manatees have been known to brush up against you on occassion. These animals are protected under state law.

Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee, the West Indian manatee, and the West African manatee.

If you live in Florida and you watch the intercoastal waterways you are sure to find a manatee. But you need not be afraid because a manatee is a very gentle giant.

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