Manatees – Cocoa Beach, Florida’s Gentle Giants!
Cocoa Beach, Florida is home to some of the world’s most majestic creatures–the manatee. These gentle giants have captivated visitors to the area for years with their grace and beauty. But did you know that there are some fun facts about them? Let’s take a look at 10 fun manatee facts that you may not have known.
1. Manatees are also known as “sea cows” because they graze on seaweed and other aquatic plants like cows do on grass. They eat up to 10-15% of their body weight each day!
2. While manatees can swim up to 20 miles per hour, they prefer to travel at a leisurely pace of 5 miles per hour. This slow speed makes them vulnerable to boat collisions, which can be fatal for these peaceful animals.
3. Despite their bulky size, manatees are surprisingly agile in the water—they can even flip themselves over in order to reach food sources on the ocean floor!
4. Manatees typically live in shallow coastal waters or rivers, but they can survive in both fresh and salt water environments. They will occasionally migrate out into deeper oceans when searching for food or better climates during winter months.
5. The average length of a manatee is 8-10 feet long and weighs around 1,000 pounds—but some individuals can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 4,500 pounds!
6. Manatees are more closely related to elephants than any other sea creature; it is believed that their closest living relative is the elephant’s ancestor from 50 million years ago!
7. Manatees have no natural predators aside from humans; they live peacefully without fear of other animals attacking them in the wild.
8. A baby manatee (called a calf) is born weighing anywhere between 60-70 lbs and measuring 3-4 feet long—which is almost half the size of an adult! Calfs will stay with their mother until they reach adulthood (around 3-5 years).
9. Manatees communicate through a variety of sounds including squeaks, squeals, whistles, chirps and barks – though we don’t know exactly what these noises mean yet!
10. Despite being slow swimmers, manatees have been known to swim great distances – one was even recorded traveling all the way from Florida to Massachusetts over a two year period!
With so many amazing facts about manatees, it’s no wonder why people flock from all over the world just for a chance glimpse at these gentle giants here in Cocoa Beach, Florida! Now that you know more about these fascinating creatures we hope that your next visit includes a stop by Cocoa Beach so you can get an up close and personal view of these majestic animals firsthand! For families looking for fun things do while visiting Cocoa Beach make sure you add a tour devoted specifically to spotting manatees on your list – you won’t regret it!
