For example, if a mother swims away while a calf is being petted by humans, the calf may not find his or her way back to the mother and could ultimately die without her. In recent years, dependent calf mortality has increased considerably. This may be due, in part, to mother and calf separation. For this reason, Save the Manatee Club discourages people from touching manatees and encourages them to observe manatees from a distance. There has not been a lot of research on the ability of manatees to see underwater.
Manatees have a nictitating membrane that can be drawn across their eyeball for protection.
We have seen the skeleton and observed the scoop like motion used to eat. We are curious about how the skeleton works inside the skin. The bones in a manatee's flipper are similar to a human hand. However, I can't answer that question for you. That would be up to the researchers at the Sirenia Project, since they are tracking the manatees.