Manatee in Florida

© Paul E Tessier/Cavan Images/Offset by Shutterstoc

Spotlight on the 'sea cow'. Manatee Awareness Month

Today we wish this gentle giant of Florida's warm waters a safe and happy Manatee Awareness Month. Closer cousins to elephants than to fellow sea mammals such as whales and dolphins, manatees follow a fully herbivorous diet of sea grasses and other marine plants—so these fish hanging out with our buddy here needn't fear being feasted upon.

In turn, this manatee doesn't seem to fear whoever took this picture—but maybe a little caution wouldn't hurt it. Human activity is a substantial threat to these curious 'sea cows,' which are often hurt or killed by boat propellers. The good news? Manatee populations near Florida have rallied since their low point in the early 1990s, when it was thought only about 1,200 were left. Current estimates now have their numbers at 5,000 or more.