HOLY SEA COW! Test Your Manatee Know-How
![HOLY SEA COW! Test Your Manatee Know-How](http://irockersup.com/cdn/shop/articles/HERO_BANNER_3_1280x.jpg?v=1713148853)
Hit your friends with these fun facts during your next paddle session and keep your eyes peeled for these gentle giants drifting below your board!
FUN FACTS
- Manatees’ closest relative is the elephan.t
- Manatees move at a speed of about 5mph but are surprisingly agile, able to swim vertically, upside down, barrel roll, and do somersaults.
- These herbivores eat 10-15% of their body weight each day.
- Manatees are constantly losing and regrowing their teeth.
- Manatees can weigh anywhere from 1,000 to 3,500 pounds.
- They love warm water and are not able to survive in water temperatures below 60 degrees.
- Manatee Appreciation Day was started by the Save the Manatees Club founded by Jimmy Buffet and former US Senator Bob Graham.
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STEPS TO PROTECT
It’s up to all of us to work together to ensure manatees—and all other marine life—is free to thrive for years to come. Here’s a few ways you can do your part when you’re out on the water.
- Make room for manatees. Take precautions while boating to avoid harming these creatures.
- Never litter the waterways these animals and so many more call home. Leave nothing but a wake in the water.
- If you encounter a manatee—or any other wildlife—during a SUP session, observe them quietly and respectfully in their natural habitat.
- Participate in beach, park, or roadside clean ups.
- Avoid using fertilizer that can feed algae growth that impacts manatees.
- Show your support for projects and policies that benefit manatees.
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