sea life
The manatee is a calm and peaceful sea mammal that can be appreciated for its outright serenity. During a trip to Florida last summer, I was fortunate enough to come in close contact with a manatee. As I was standing in the ocean at about 30 meters from the shore, a large group of children was forming in the water. As I approached them to learn why they had gathered together, I saw the dark, rotund form of the manatee nearing underwater. The children were delighted at the sight of the "sea cow," though it truly didn't seem to notice that anyone was even around it. As the manatee slowly and gently passed by me, I gained a new admiration for the creature and for its passive approach towards Waller. Through my research, I found many new reasons to appreciate the beautiful manatee. The manatee is a mammal, and it bares the honor of being the "only full aquatic freshwater herbivore" (Bateman 343). This distinction has garnered the manatee the none-too-flattering nickname of the "Sea Cow." Manatees, along with dugongs, are members of the Sirenia order, named as such since early mariners confused the Manatee for mermaids or sea sirens. Current theories speculate that the manatee may have first appeared around 27 mil
Two manatees that I personally witnessed in captivity were known to eat several heads of lettuce and cabbage in a day. Manatees' paddles help them eat, as they are known to swish floating foods into the reach of their hungry mouths (Waller 417). Their reproductive rate is noticeably low. The manatee's inhabitation of tropical waters is a compliment to their low metabolic rate, because "little energy is expended in regulation of body temperature" (Bateman 342). The manatee is a common victim of not only powerboats, but also industrialization and poaching as well. Manatees also tend to instinctually avoid plants containing toxins. There are currently three species of manatee, including the West Indian manatee, the West African manatee, and the Amazonian manatee. Manatees on the average consume up to 100 pounds of plants a day (Livermore 42). Manatees will eat plants floating at the water's surface, such as the water hyacinth, as well as underwater vegetation like Hydrilla (Waller 417). This is a result of such dangers as pollution, high-speed boats and jet skis, and dams and other man-made water landmarks. The manatee, however, is a species that faces the potential threat of extinction.
Common topics in this essay:
Celsius Manatees,
Hydrilla Waller,
Sea Cow,
Zoo Tampa,
Springs Park,
Coast Bateman,
Island Waller,
West African,
Cow Manatees,
Florida Manatees,
sea cow,
bateman 342,
rehabilitation centers,
waller 420,
bateman 343,
sea cow manatee,
waller 417,
indian manatee,
west indian,
wild manatees,
waters manatees,
west indian manatee,
nickname sea cow,
|
Acceptance Essays
