Today the West Indian manatee is listed as an endangered species throughout its range. The range of the Florida manatee is primarily peninsular Florida, but extends as far north as Virginia and as far west as Mississippi. Antillean manatees have a patchy distribution throughout the Caribbean including Mexico, southern Texas, and northeastern South America. The southern range extends through Central and South America to Brazil. West African manatees range from Senegal to Angola, on the west coast of Africa.
Amazonian manatees are the only species of manatee confined to fresh water.
They inhabit the Amazon Basin, mostly in Brazil. They are uncommon and close to extinction in Ecuador, Peru, and Columbia. Florida manatee Antillean manatee West African manatee Amazonian manatee B. Habitat. The West Indian and West African manatees inhabit rivers, bays, canals, estuaries, and coastal areas rich in seagrass and other vegetation. They move freely between salinity extremes.