Preferred habitats are coastal areas, canals, rivers, estuaries, and saltwater bays. Manatees undertake extensive seasonal migrations which vary with water temperatures. Consequently, Florida manatees seek out warm-water refuges during the winter, concentrated primarily along the Florida peninsula.

West Indian manatees prefer shallow, slow-moving waters of rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas. They can move easily between freshwater and saltwater environments, but prefer freshwater. The West Indian manatee has no natural predators.

West Indian manatees live in estuarine, fresh and marine waters. The Antillean subspecies stay further out in the sea than their Florida cousins. They are a solitary creature, rarely forming groups and even so, temporarily.

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the Eastern United States to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on underwater plants and uses its whiskers to navigate.

The West Indian manatee is a large herbivorous (plant-eating) marine mammal. There are two subspecies of West Indian manatees: the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus).

West Indian manatees, Trichechus manatus (Linnaeus, 1758), aka American, Antillean, Caribbean, North American or Florida manatees and sea cows, are large, gray-brown aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a large flat, paddle-shaped tail.

Ultimate Guide to facts about West Indian Manatee: lifespan, distribution and habitat map, lifestyle and social behavior, mating habits, diet and nutrition, population size and status.

Jul 10, 2017 · West Indian Manatee Habitat. The West Indian manatee favors freshwater environments, but is also found in brackish (a mix of fresh and salt water) and saltwater systems. It has been observed in rivers, estuaries, canals, lagoons, coastal areas and saltwater bays.

Meet the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) including their appearance, diet, habitat, range, lifespan, breeding and behavior.

West Indian manatees live in the coastal waters, including rivers and estuaries, of southeastern United States, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. They can be found in both saltwater and freshwater environments, but they need access to freshwater to drink.