Image credit: NationalGeographic
See, everyone is showing them love!
Today is Manatee Appreciation Day – an opportunity to celebrate these incredible and unique creatures.
Often called ‘sea cows’, these animals inhabit warm coastal waters rich with underwater vegetation.
The Awesome Ocean Team is a huge fan of these odd looking marine mammals. We’re often sharing news about rescues and even manatee flash mobs.
First listed to the Endangered Species Act in 1967, their numbers have been steadily increasing. Manatee Appreciation Day is great reminder that manatees and their habitat need our support. 
Check out these Manatee Fun Facts:
- Manatees are migratory, sometimes traveling up the East Coast in the summer months—in 1995 one, named Chessie, has been spotted as far north as Rhode Island.
- Manatees can live up 60 years.
- Their lungs are two-thirds the length of their bodies.
- They can only breath through their nose. Their mouths are for grazing on their primary food source – sea grass.
- It is believed that the legendary “mermaids” spotted by sailors throughout history were actually manatees.
Want to get involved? Use the hashtag #ManateeAppreciationDay or visit SaveTheManatee.org for more ways to help these gentle giants.