Manatees are semi-social animals with a loose herd structure. We know that they can be very friendly with one another, and we understand that there is an absence of competition and fighting amongst manatees. They have no concept of hostility. They don’t even compete for mates. Manatees can be friendly or indifferent toward humans. They have moods and personalities, just like we do.
The West Indian Manatee, dubbed the Florida Manatee when they call Florida home, is the world’s most humble creature. They don’t know any form of aggression. They have no natural predators and no prey. They don’t even compete for resources!
Manatees are completely vegan, subsisting on a diet of aquatic vegetation. They need to consume 10-20% of their body weight in wet vegetation every single day to keep their body temperature regulated. For an animal that weighs 1,000 pounds on average – that is a lot of food! They aren’t picky eaters; they will munch and crunch on any kind of grass, leaves, and even sweet potatoes if they can access them. Their most nutritious food sources are in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where grasses grow in abundance and variety. In Kings Bay, they feast on our native Eelgrass, which has been planted by our Grass Restoration Project to the tune of about 17 million dollars. Each acre of planted grass can support about 40,000 fish and 50 million small animals, and it provides a necessary food source for our manatees.
Manatees are semi-social animals with a loose herd structure. We are learning more and more about these magnificent creatures every year, but their social behaviors are only minimally understood. We know that they can be very friendly with one another, and we understand that there is an absence of competition and fighting amongst manatees. They have no concept of hostility. They don’t even compete for mates. They mate cooperatively in large herds with many males and 1 female.
Manatees can be friendly or indifferent toward humans. They have moods and personalities, just like we do. They behave a lot like cats, in that they are interested in people who are not interested in them. They have been known to approach people and investigate them with the sensitive whiskers on their faces. Sometimes, they even greet humans like they would another manatee, by touching their nose to your nose! Because they are always teething, they love to chew. In the wintertime, when food is scarce, they may even nibble on long braids or a beard. These experiences are rare, but they do happen and are a sign that the animals are curious about humans swimming in the water with them.
The best way to get an amazing experience with a manatee is to join us on a Swim with the Manatees tour! We will give you all the guidance necessary to ensure that you are comfortable and that the animals are comfortable. We passively observe these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Our expert in-water swim guides will provide all the materials and support you need to have a relaxing and awe-inspiring experience in our beautiful Kings Bay, Florida’s highest concentration of fresh spring water flow. We will provide a pool noodle and wetsuit for flotation and warmth, and a snorkel and mask. Your guide will support you throughout the experience from beginning to end.
We start in our classroom, where you will watch Manatee Manners, a video made by US Fish and Wildlife that outlines the rules and regulations for swimming with manatees in the Kings Bay National Wildlife Refuge. After that, you will get changed into wetsuits, and we will take you on a short 1-minute drive down to our dock. Once you are on the boat, keep your eyes and ears open for any traces of manatees. This may include their breath or the hydraulics their paddle tails create on the surface of the water as they swim. We call these hydraulics “Manatee Footprints”.
When we find a good situation to get you in on, your swim guide will help you into the water and get you into our floating position – face down and feet up. They will support you the entire way, making sure that you can get good views of the manatees while making sure the animals are comfortable. If your group finds a particularly friendly manatee, or if a friendly manatee finds you, your guide will make sure you are completely prepared for the encounter. They will instruct you to relax as much as possible and to remain still. We want to remain as calm and still as possible so that we don't spook that manatee. The calmer we are in the water, the longer that curious interaction will continue. If a manatee is displaying interest in humans, it will typically visit every human in the group to get a good look – and maybe even a feel or a sniff!
Come out on a tour with our excellent captains and guides, and they will ensure that you have all the knowledge and support to have an incredible encounter with these majestic creatures.