Manatee
Experience
The
Trip:
Fantastic Day - Lunch Snorkel - Fun!
9a
- 4p: Day Trip to Unknown Manatee Colonies. Share the
world with these friendly creatures. the return, stop at Gough's
Caye or Seargent's Caye. Maybe check out the dolphins on the back
side of Turneffe Island. Perhaps see one turn over and play with
the lobster traps to 'free' the lobster and catch it for a
quick meal. While snorkeling, observe the colorful fish and
interesting coral. Your captain or one of his mates will prepare
your Belizean Picnic Lunch of (Chicken Rice, Beans, Salad)
on a deserted tropical islands. Sodas & Ice provided but some
people like to bring EXTRA sodas or BEER Next you may snorkel
at 'Shark Alley - Stingray Village'. Worth more than one
visit if you have time, one of the best 'animal dives' (or snorkeling
experiences) in the World.
|
Friendly
Manatee cow and calf. Their closest relative is the elephant.
|
Manatees
breath AIR, as you can see in the client submitted photo.
|
Deserted
island, one of hundreds, perfect for your Belizean Picnic
Lunch.
|
About
Manatees:
Despite
its attempts to evade predators, the manatee still finds itself
listed as Vulnerable by the World Conservation Union. Hard
to mistake, the manatee is characterized by a large, seal-like
body that tapers to a spatulate tail. Distinguished by features
of thick and gray or gray-brown wrinkled skin and stiff whiskers
on its upper lip, it's not surprising that the manatee's closest
relative is the elephant. Manatees are part of a group called
Sirenia, because of their relation with the mythical "Sirena"
(MERMAIDS). They are the only herbivorous (plant eating) aquatic
animals. Manatees eat a variety of floating, submerged and bottom
growing aquatic plants, such as seagrasses, algae, and mangrove
leaves. Of ecological importance, manatees are responsible for
recycling of nutrients between the water column and the substrate
(mud, sand, rock).Other
than the seasonal movements to warm waters for it's survival,
the manatee has very little pattern to its life cycle. Calves
are born every two to five years after a 13-month gestation
period, and remain dependent on their mothers for two years. The
population of manatees in Belize has varied over the past decade,
but is now estimated at 300-700 individuals. Belize
is thought to have the highest concentration of this subspecies,
but it is significantly lower than a century ago and is continuing
to decline. Reports
of declining manatee populations due to hunting date back to 1883.
In spite of the Manatee Protection Ordinance of 1935 and the more
recent protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, illegal hunting
has persisted. Reports of manatee bones at butcher sites is evidence
that manatees are still taken for local consumption.Another
threat exists in boat collisions with manatees; propeller-scarred
manatees are becoming an increasingly common site. As boat traffic
increases, manatees are left with fewer undisturbed creeks and
channels for calving and resting areas, thus they are forced to
seek out less suitable habitats to avoid such harassment. In the
search for habitat, manatees often find themselves susceptible
to entrapment. Industrial and agricultural pollution, as well
as effluent from sewage, adversely affects the health destroys
the vegetation on which they feed. With
such a high number of threats, the manatee has an uphill battle
for survival. Fortunately, over the past decade, the people
of Belize have made great strides in preventing further loss of
this species. Public awareness campaigns have
helped to increase enforcement of regulations. More enforcement
is needed to protect this species.
|
