Know Your Ocean: Sweet Pea, The Adventuresome Manatee

"Man will protect that which he loves" Saint Jacques Yves Cousteau

Ahhhh.. the lovable, gentle cow of the deep, the manatee. What magic do these animals possess that makes us so automatically drawn to them? I think it may have something to do with that wrinkled nose and somewhat sad face...like a Sharpai puppy. And on a deeper level, they seem to have that same mysterious human awareness that we see in dolphins. It is a rarity and a concern for a manatee to be seen further north than Florida. They prefer water that is warmer than 67 degrees and would have trouble surviving in water under 60 degrees. But Sweet Pea evidently has quite the adventuresome spirit. He was discovered last Fall playing in Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant and spotted surfacing in Charleston Harbor. You would think that a robust creature like the manatee would be able to handle cold water with all the insulation they have, but their very low metabolic rate makes cold water endurance difficult. ( I have the same problem.) Manatees live to be 60 years old and in West African culture, they are considered to be sacred, thought to have once been human. Unfortunately, many contemporary imaginations are not fueled with myth, but anyone must have respect for an animal whose fossil remains found in Florida show they were inhabitants there over 45 million years ago. Who knows what magic this animal holds...recent reseach is showing that the manatee can mysteriously distinguish where a swimmer is, even in blackout conditions.

I will look for Sweet Pea again this summer. Any sightings of him should be reported to The Department of Natural Resources since he is an endangered animal. Even though protection efforts have been helpful, there are still less than 2000 manatees living in Florida now. And of course, nothing should be done to encourage Sweet Pea's visit since it is dangerous for him to be cavorting this far north. The unusually warm fall weather we had last year may have influenced his decision to visit the northlands. We may never see him in this area again. We can only hope that Sweet Pea knew what he was doing and he made the 4 mph swim back to Florida safely.

Sweet Pea having a drink from a water hose in Shem Creek. Manatees don't have the neck vertebra that most mammals have, so they must turn their whole body in the direction they wish to look. As tempting as it can be, if you see a Manatee, you shouldn't give them water or interact with them in any way. (You don't want to interfere with the natural order of things by encouraging them to stay-and they will stay around just to interact with humans.)

Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant. I think one of the most beautiful spots in the South. A little too busy for Manatees' safety, but dolphins do frolick here all the time.