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The Florida manatee is thriving in Kings Bay, and so is tourism.
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Kayaks crowd Three Sisters Springs, where people and manatees maintain a controversial coexistence. To reach the warm water they need to survive winter, manatees often must run a gantlet of kayakersand snorkelers eager to interact with the marine mammals.
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Solitary by nature, manatees are forced into sociability on winter days. Lacking the blubber that insulates whales, they crowd warm springs and power plant discharge sites.
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Manatees swim close to the water’s surface because they are air-breathing mammals. They use their stiff facial bristles to guide food into their mouths.
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Expanding residential, commercial, and agricultural development in Florida often requires increased pumping of groundwater. The resulting loss of flow from natural springs reduces wintering habitat for manatees.
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Crystal River Wildlife Refuge is the only place in the country where swimmers are allowed to touch manatees; some conservationists consider the practice harassment and want it banned.
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Scientists and volunteers capture manatees to gather statistics on their age, size, and physical condition.
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Propeller scars mark this manatee—graphic evidence of a too-close encounter with a boat. About one in four of Florida’s 360 manatee deaths in 2012 resulted from collisions. Slow-speed zones help, but some boaters resent the restrictions.
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A manatee takes sand into its mouth as water roils the floor of Three Sisters Springs. Scientists don’t understand the behavior, but some wonder if it helps with digestion.
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Young manatees nurse from teats behind the mother’s flippers during a period of intense maternal care that may last two years. Constantly swimming beside their mothers, calves learn how to find food and sanctuary.
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