Caribbean manatee
Trichechus manatus
- Scientific name
- Trichechus manatus
- Group
- Marine mammals
- Rarity
- Rare
- Where to see it
- Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Vulnerable
Did you know?
This gentle giant can eat up to a tenth of its body weight in seagrass each day, and boat strikes are among its biggest threats since it surfaces slowly to breathe.
What defines this group — Marine mammals
Warm-blooded, they nurse their young and breathe air — the group closest to us underwater.
- They breathe through a blowhole (whales, dolphins) or nostrils (seals, sea lions).
- A thick layer of blubber, rather than fur, insulates them from the cold.
- Many navigate and hunt by sound, using echolocation.