West Indian manatee Facts for Kids
Trichechus manatus · trih-KEE-kus muh-NAY-tus
A gentle plant-eater of warm water, and a cousin of the elephant.
- 🏃 15 mph24 km/h1
- ⚖️ 992 lb450 kg1
- 📏 8.9 to 9.8 ft2.7 to 3 m1 long
- 🎂 60 years60 years2
- 🍽️ plants
- Needs help (Vulnerable)
Manatees are gentle, slow swimmers. They munch sea grass and other plants. Their tail is flat like a paddle.
A manatee glides through warm, shallow water and grazes on seagrass like a cow in a field, which is why it is sometimes called a sea cow. It has to come up to breathe air, but it can rest underwater between breaths. Its flippers have little nails, and it uses them to steer food into its mouth.
Manatees are mammals, and their closest living relatives are elephants. They need warm water, so in cold weather many gather at warm springs. Sandy plants wear their teeth down, so new teeth keep moving forward from the back of the jaw. Boats are one of the biggest dangers to manatees, so people set slow-speed zones in manatee waters, and protection has helped manatees do better.
How big is a West Indian manatee?
West Indian manatee in numbers
| Length | 8.9 to 9.8 ft2.7 to 3 m1typical |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 992 lb450 kg1typical |
| Top speed (swimming) | 15 mph24 km/h1swimming, very short periods |
| How long it lives | 60 years60 years2 |
| What it eats | seagrass and other water plants |
| Where it lives | warm shallow coasts, rivers and springs from Florida through the Caribbean |
| What kind | Mammals |
| Is it in danger? | Needs help (Vulnerable)3 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- A manatee grows new teeth at the back of its mouth that move forward.
- Fine hairs all over its body help a manatee feel the water around it.
- Long ago, sailors may have mistaken manatees for mermaids.
Compare the West Indian manatee
Friends and neighbours
African elephant
Green sea turtle
Bottlenose dolphinThree questions
Books about the West Indian manatee, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the West Indian manatee for free.
Where these numbers come from
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, checked 30 October 2026.
- National Park Service, Big Cypress National Preserve, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, West Indian manatee (Q40261), checked 30 October 2026.