At a glance, their grayish-brown skin is wrinkly and peppered with short bristly hairs. Stiff facial whiskers also dart from their bulbous puffy snouts. Their facial expressions are indicative of their overall behavior which is placid. Their tranquil expressions may lie in the fact that their eyes are small, close together, and recessed. Adults can reach 13 feet in length and weigh as much as 3,500 pounds.
Females are often greater in length and weigh more than males.
These gentle creatures, who spend more than five hours a day feeding on seagrasses, are endangered to the point of extinction. Their story is a familiar one - humans are the major threat to their existence. A recent count revealed there are only 1,463 manatees left. The foremost concern is how to prevent continued loss and possible extinction. Since manatees do now swim very fast, boat speeds greater than 20 mph are too high for them to avoid collisions and propeller injuries.