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These gentle giants have captured our imagination for centuries. They're the animals Christopher Columbus likely saw when he reported seeing mermaids swimming in the ocean near the Dominican Republic in 1493 - although the supposed mermaids were "not as beautiful as they are represented," the explorer wrote.
Though the manatee has no natural predators, these slow creatures were on the endangered species list for years due to human activity like hunting and boating. However, these intelligent mammals are making a comeback and were taken off the endangered species list in 2017, though they are still considered threatened.
With November 1 marking the beginning of Manatee Awareness Month, here are 20 breathtaking pictures of manatees.
While male manatees may not have many paternal instincts, all manatees are equipped with complex social abilities. Manatees communicate through a sophisticated system of underwater clicks and whistles.
Don't let their watery habitat and natural swimming abilities fool you. These gentle giants are actually mammals and typically surface every three to five minutes for air.
While manatees have no natural predators, they're threatened by human activities like hunting, boating, and jet skiing. West Indian manatees were put on the endangered species list after Florida's numbers dwindled to 1,267 in 1991.
Fortunately, the species was taken off the endangered list in 2017 after its population rebounded to 6,300 in the wild, although the species is still considered "threatened."
