Manatee: Mermaids of the Seas
I never had an actual encounter with a manatee. Never in my entire life, but I heard so much from this creature. So much that accordingly they are near extinction.
Manatee thought to have inspired the lore of the mermaids among early European mariners. They can weigh as much up to 500 kilograms, live for 70 years and lead mostly solitary lives foraging for food. Like other sea-mammals, they break the water’s surface every five minutes to breathe, but they are unique among sea-mammals because they are vegetarians.
Due to their docile and slow nature they are often preyed by first humans, the killer whales, sharks and even crocodiles. They also have a very low reproductive rate that is the reason they are now an endangered species, even in the brink of extinction. There are organizations that aim at protecting these beautiful creatures. Somehow there is progress, let us save the mermaids of the seas.
