Click on the picture to open a larger photo. West Indian manatees are large, aquatic animals that are gray-brown in color. Manatees are commonly found in shallow rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas, particularly where seagrass beds are located.
Manatees are migratory and concentrate in Florida in the winter.
The West Indian manatee is Florida's official state marine mammal . It is an endangered species. Loss of habitat and human interaction pose the greatest threat to this gentle, slow-moving creature. Most human-related manatee deaths are due to collisions with boats.