Manatees in Key West

The colder weather brings manatees into the canals of Key West.  They come in packs, but sometimes send a scout up the canal first to see if it’s worth it for everyone to come down.  Almost all of them will have prop scars, which means a boat has hit them at some point.  Some of the bigger manatees have barnacles on them.  Their breath is horrendous, and their skin is like thick leather.

;When the manatees come up the canal, one thing they like is fresh water.  But you’re not supposed to let them drink from your hose because it will encourage them to think of boats and humans as friendly.  We want them to be afraid of boats so they keep clear and don’t get hit.  But while we were flushing our engine after a day of Key West spearfishing, a manatee popped up from the canal, rolled onto his back, and started drinking. He used his flipper to steady himself on the prop for resulting maximum cuteness displayed in the picture above. They sure are cute, but don’t feed the manatees either. For same reasons outlined above, don’t feed them. It’s for their own good.