Florida Manatees

Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, bays, canals and coastal areas of Citrus County and Crystal River. Manatees are a migratory species.

Within the United States, manatees are concentrated in Florida in the winter, but they can be found in summer months as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia. However, these sightings are rare.

Summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are common. West Indian Manatees can also be found in the coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America, although distribution in these areas may be spotty.

The Florida Manatee is directly related to the West Indian manatee. They are also related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and to the Steller’s sea cow, which were all hunted to extinction by 1768.

Manatees, appearing as large dark gray or brown objects in clear water, are often observed swimming, resting, or feeding near seagrass beds in the coastal areas of Citrus County. In darker waters, manatees are more difficult to see, but may be identified by their dark, round snouts when the manatee breaks the surface of the water to breathe. Large, circular swirls in the water may also indicate the presence of manatees.

Manatees are gentle and slow-moving. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and in travel. Manatees are completely herbivorous. They eat aquatic plants and can consume 10-15% of their body weight daily in vegetation. They graze for food along water bottoms and on the surface. They may rest submerged at the bottom or just below the surface, coming up to breathe on the average of every three to five minutes. When manatees are using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breathe as often as every 30 seconds.