Protecting the Manatee Click map for a larger view of warm water aggregation map. FWC counted 2,353 in March 1999, and the highest count in the last few years was 2,639 in February 1996. Within the United States, the Florida manatee migrates to Florida waters during the winter, but can be found in summer months as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia and the Carolinas.
Many manatees have scars caused primarily by boat propellers.
Researchers use permanent scars to recognize individuals, and over time, have established their movement patterns. In 1995, researchers matched a carcass recovered in Louisiana to an animal seen the previous winter at Tampa Electric's Big Bend canal. This shows that while some manatees are content to spend most of their time locally, others travel far distances along the coastal waters of the southern United States. The Florida manatee, a warm-blooded mammal, needs warm water in winter. In spite of their size, they have very little body fat.