Manatee
The Florida manatee is beloved for its calm
and gentle nature. It is an aquatic relative
of the elephant, with its large body and
brownish gray thick skin. Manatees have
sufficient sight and hearing despite their
small eyes and lack of outer ears. Fully
grown, manatees reach a length of 10-12
feet and weigh 1,500-1,800 pounds. They
can live up to 60 years in the wild. Manatees
exist on a diet of sea grasses and freshwater
vegetation, occasionally consuming small
fish. Found in the warm waters of shallow
estuaries, rivers and bays, their estimated
population is around 5,000 in Florida. They
are currently on the endangered species list
and are under legal protection. Manatees
breathe through their nostrils located on the
top of their nose. When a manatee takes a
breath, ninety percent of the air in its lungs is
refreshed, and with humans it is only about
ten percent. Manatees come up for air every
two-five minutes and can stay underwater
for as long as 20 minutes.
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Redfish
The Florida largemouth bass may be the official state fish, but few aquatic animals
seem to exemplify the life of a Southwest Florida fisherman like the redfish. Properly
called the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), redfish are usually reddish-bronze in
color but can range in from deep blackish to copper to almost silver, and have a
single large black spot on the upper part of their tail. They can reach two feet in
length by three years of age, weighing 6 – 8 pounds, and have been known to live in
excess of 40 years. The largest redfish ever caught weighed 94 pounds.