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Manatees gather off of Bayshore Boulevard
Video courtesy of Marcelo Vieira.
TAMPA - Manatees in Florida waters are a West Indian subspecies. They are prolific swimmers and will often gather in warm waters to graze on seagrasses and other aquatic vegetation. They are called "sea cows" because they graze on those food sources up to 9 percent of their body weight each day. When they are at rest.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states that they will just suspend themselves near the water's surface for several hours at a time.
What we know:
However, sometimes when people see a group of manatees together at rest, it can draw the attention of onlookers curious to see what’s happening.
In the cold weather months, manatees grouped together would be more still, working to keep warm. In the summer months, though, a female manatee will attract male suitors all trying to get her attention in a mating ritual of sorts.
Photo from Marcelo Vieira
The female emits a pheromone as she enters shallow water. The FWC states that the males attracted to that pheromone will vie for position, splashing about in water to mate with the female.
READ: Some residents push for enhanced manatee protection measures in parts of Hillsborough River
It creates enough of a spectacle that often people will call 911 thinking that there is an emergency for the manatee at the bottom of that pile.
What's next:
The FWC has a hotline set up to report mating manatee herds. That wildlife hotline is (888) 404-3922.
The event is explained by FWC experts, click here.
The Source: This story was written based on information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's main page on the Florida Manatee, their Facebook tutorial explaining mating herds and the local video from alert viewer Marcelo Vieira.