However, when a female is ready to mate, several males will gather around her forming a mating herd. After mating, they resume their solitary lives. There is, however, a strong bond between cow and calf. After birth, calves stay close to their mothers, and touching seems to be important to them. They nurse for nearly a year, and stay with their mother for up to two years.
Reproduction is slow for manatees.
Manatees are mature and able to breed at about 10 years of age. The gestation period is one full year for manatees, and cows give birth only once every 3 to 5 years. Communication Manatees communicate with each other with voices that sound like clicks and chirps. The sounds they make can be heard by humans. Communication is especially strong between a cow and her calf, and that helps the two remain in contact with each other.