Swimming With Manatees: A Thing Of The Past?

Photo credit: Sportdiver.com 

Manatees and Florida go together like Marley and Reggae.

People flock from all over the world for the unique experience of swimming with these gentle giants.

One area in particular that tourists and locals frequent is the Three Sister’s Springs, which remains at 72 degrees Fahrenheit that is perfect for manatees.

Each winter when the temperatures drop below 68 degrees, sea cows begin to migrate towards warmer waters to survive the cold. Manatees are large (usually around 1,200 pounds when grown) but don’t let their size fool you, they are fragile giants that often die from something as simple as cold stress.

On the endangered species list, many Floridians are rightly protective of their beloved state symbol – the manatee.

Now, wild life regulators want to ban most canoes and paddle boards and create people-free zones in areas such as the Three Sister’s Springs that currently allow human-manatee interaction.

The US Fish and Wildlife Services are still in the approval process and there are valid arguments that support both sides.

On one hand, many guests developed a love and devotion to protecting these mammals by interacting with them at places like Three Sister’s Springs. On the other, there are just too many people, too many manatees and not enough space to offer these interactions without disturbing the animals.

What do you think? Should tourists be allowed to continue interacting with the manatees or does the government need to step in and regulate the business?

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All article images are from Yahoo.com.