Manatee Appreciation Day 2024
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I have seen many of them on the gulf side of Florida and even witnessed the arrest and placing into custody some of those persons who thought they were supposed to be able to jump on them and restrict their movements.
Harassing a manatee now carries more stiff penalties and I think it's a good thing.
These gentle giants of the still waters will sometimes congregate around humans when they do not feel threatened.
I know that I have been accompanied by an aggregation of them back in my younger, more adventurous post Navy days.
Today is Manatee Appreciation Day.
It is held under the auspices of the Save the Manatee Club which was founded in 1981 by songwriter Jimmy Buffet and former US senator Bob Graham.
It happens on the last Wednesday of March — which falls on March 27 this year.
It is a vehicle for raisinng awareness of the endangered manatees, aka 'sea cow' as they continue to fall victim to pollution, diminishing habitat, the destruction of nesting areas, and even hunting if you can fathom such a thing.
They run in 1,200 pound range and gain such massive bulk by consuming seagrass. Their only predators are human beings. I cannot count the boat propeller injuries I have seen them suffer. If you ever hear a nearby manatee cry out in pain you will never want them to be hurt again. Human activites maim and kill these gentle harmless creatures to excess.
I hope the future is kind to the entire species.