In spite of their size, they have very little body fat. These factors may account for their susceptibility to cold water. In the winter, usually November through March, manatees congregate at warm water sources such as natural springs or warm water effluents of power plants. Individual manatees often return to the same wintering areas year after year. A manatee sanctuary is an area that is off-limits to human activity such as boating, swimming, diving and fishing.
Sanctuaries are places where manatees can rest and feed undisturbed.
As a diver, I think the best way for people to appreciate manatees is to see them up close and personal. It's a way to get people interested in helping them. Save the Manatee Club is not opposed to people being in the water when manatees are present. However, we are concerned about people interacting with manatees. Manatees are an endangered species, protected under the federal Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act.