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With all the negatives flowing out of Belize, it's easy to forget that we live in a country so often described as "The Jewel". Belizeans have many things to be proud of, and our unique manatee population is one such thing.

With the extinction of the Sterller's Sea Cow, only four species of Manatee are still in existence: the Amazonian, West African, West Indian and Dugong manatee. The West Indian manatee had two sub- species, which are the Florida and the Antillian Manatee.

Truly magnificent creatures, manatees are the only herbivorous mammals in our waters. They provide ecological balance by eating sea grass and recycling nutrients that nourish smaller fish, which are in turn food for larger fish.

They also provide financial gain for the country as they serve as a very popular attraction in a country that thrives on tourism.

Growing from 10 to 13 feet long and weighing approximately 1200 to over 3,000 pounds, to see a manatee in the water should be nothing short of breathtaking, and Belizeans can take pride in the fact the country is home to the largest population of Antillian Manatees is the world.

While that should bolster Belizeans' ego, the reality of manatees in Belize is that with only approximately 1,000 left, we won't be too proud for too long, if the conservation efforts of the Coastal Zone management doesn't receive the full support of the Belizean public.

The Reporter spoke with Jamal Galvez, research assistant working with the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), and Sea to Shore Alliance, who said that the population of manatees in Belize is "no where near the required amount for sustainable development."

CZMAI's manatee project began in 2006, and it is geared towards research and managing the Antillian Manatee population. They also work to educate the public on the need to protect this fragile and gentle creature.

Research data collected from January 2005 to December 2010 puts the number of manatee deaths at 76.

The data shows a marked increase from 7 deaths per year, to 19 deaths per year. While 19 per year may be a pittance to the 1000 that are counted, it is notable that while female manatee are capable of reproduction from as early as three years, males are not capable until 7-10 years.

Coupled with the fact that a manatee carries a single calf for a whole year before giving birth and on average bears one calf every 3-5 years, every manatee lost puts the species one step closer to extinction.

The raw data for the injuries and deaths for the years 2011 and 2012 have not been formalized into an official report; however, it depicts a first glance impression of an increase in injuries and deaths due to human interference.

If the number of deaths persist the manatee in Belize will go extinct, if that happens other Countries which are relying on the manatee population in Belize to rebound will also lose out on having their manatee population restored.

Countries in the region where manatees are now extinct are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Barth�lemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French part), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

With these factors in mind, the CZMAI have worked tirelessly in the research, protection, rehabilitation, and conservation of the Antillia Manatee. Several projects have already taken effect and others are yet to be implemented.

One of the more recent activities for the CZMAI is the lobbying for the "No Wake" zones to be enforced at the mouth of the Belize River.

The area is a frequently visited spot for manatees, and many of them are injured by speeding boats. The CZMAI posted clearly visible signs in the area, and are working in collaboration with the Belize Port Authority to ensure that boats travel the required 5 miles per hour when moving through the zone.

The CZMAI, a division of the Belize Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, has a strategic conservation plan for 2012, which is a collaborative effort with Sea to Shore Alliance.

The plan is to use mark-recapture methodologies with the application of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and genetic marker analysis. Manatees will be caught in the wild, genetic samples taken, and given a Pit tag. Once the manatee is released, it will be monitored and its movement patterns and other data will be observed.

The genetic samples will be compared with samples from other manatees from other regions, and the data will be compiled and analysed.

This initiative, which CZMAI has dubbed as Capture Week, continues from June 11-15, 2012

The Reporter

Manatee Encounter in Belize

Encounter with an Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) off Soldier Caye, Turneffe Atoll, Belize.


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Years of manatee research in Belize and Cuba

While the streets and highways are populated with SUV's and pose a minimal risk for pedestrians, our coastal waters also hold dangers for one large mammal. Manatees face a distinct threat from mariners whose boats either injure or kill them in the areas that they live. That is why the Sea to Shore Alliance's conservation work in Belize has been paramount in the survival of the species. News Five caught up with doctor James Powell, the Executive Director of Sea to Shore Alliance, who was giving a presentation at the Coastal Zone Management and Institute about the organization's ongoing manatee research in Belize and Cuba.

Dr. James Powell, Executive Director, Sea to Shore Alliance

James Powell

"Today, I am giving a presentation about the work that we've been doing here in Belize and also for interest and comparison the work we have been doing in Cuba. In fact, we have some Cuban biologists here working in Belize on this trip because we'll use it as a training and learning opportunity. In Belize we have had some of the longest term manatee research going on in the Caribbean so it is fabulous place for people to learn about manatee; to do research on them and what needs to be done to protect them."

Jose Sanchez

"Is there anything in particular that the public would want to be aware of that you are giving in this presentation?"

Dr. James Powell

"Yes. One of the main reasons we're giving this presentation is that once upon a time, manatees were hunted, but we've learned from some of the research that we are doing that more and more manatees are being killed by boats; just like they are in Florida. So one of the purposes of our work here is to find out where and why we are getting more and more dead manatees killed by boats and how much are being injured by getting hit by boats."

Jose Sanchez

"Do we have any numbers on your research so far of how many have been killed or hit by boats?"

Dr. James Powell

"This year I think there have been eight manatees that have been killed and last year there were about nineteen manatees killed. And what we are seeing is-and we have been doing this work for almost fifteen years-is that when we catch them and we radio tag them, we are finding more and more of them with boat scars; where they have been hit."

Jose Sanchez

"Speaking of tagging, you intended to do some catch and release earlier today; what can you tell us about that?"

Dr. James Powell

"Yeah exactly right catch and release but really big. We catch the manatees and we do health assessment son them just like you would go to the doctors. We collect blood and take measurements and then we put satellite tags on them so that we can tract their movements. And the reason we do this is not only just to learn about manatees and their general biology, but also to find out where their most important habitats are and how much time they spend in some places which we may be able to provide with the tags. But if they only spend a part of their time there and then go somewhere else and then we are only protecting one place. So the tag allows us to know where they stay and when."

Channel 5


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VIDEO: Protect The Manatees

We can all do our part to help protect the manatees in Belize.


Raising awareness on endangered manatees species during manatee month

The manatee, locally known as the sea cow,� is listed as an endangered species in Belize; it is estimated that the population is between seven hundred and nine hundred.� Over the years, there have been continuous efforts to protect the local manatee habitat from threats by boaters.� In Belize City today, as part of the activities this month to build awareness about the large sea mammal, The Manatee Research Center organized a program for students. Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Youths from across the country have been getting a crash course on the manatee and today at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute Office on Princess Margaret Drive; it was Belize City's turn. Students from various schools in the Old Capital formed cues as they took turns, in different groups, to get a good grasp on the life of the manatees.

Jamal Galvez

Jamal Galvez, Manatee Research Associate, CZMAI

"We are trying to get communities and the individuals in the communities involved. Manatees, even though Belize has the highest population of this species, we need this help and for change to happen we need this nation, we need the entire country to know and learn about these things and our intention is once we educate people about manatees, they may see the need for them to protect them. It's basically to teach these children the manatee habitat, the needs, and what are the threats and what they can do. The simple things such as don't throw garbage in the water because something as simple as a plastic bag can be serious danger for manatee."

Belize currently has the largest population of the Trichechus manatus or the Antillean manatee. The herbivorous mammal, however, is endangered; the life of the species is being threatened by boaters, polluters as well as mega tourism developments. And according to Manatee Research Associate, Jamal Galvez, he is targeting the youths to try and prevent or even minimize the number of casualties.

Jamal Galvez

"We wanted to make it interactive so we put a bunch of videos in there that they can relate to with manatees communicating-talking like human beings and talking about their problems. Like for instance you may say that mommy noh wanna buy me a sneakers because it is expensive. Their problems are boats so they are discussing their problems that oh you can’t hang out in this area because the boats are high in this area. So the videos are basically for them to have a very good vision of what manatee life is-what they do every day, what they see every day; what's the life down under."

And so we tested the kids to see if they were able to retain the vast amount of information that was presented.� And they were impressive.

Lyon Green

Lyon Green, Student

"A next name for manatee is the sea cow and they have to come up every thirty seconds to get air to breathe under water and they can breathe for fifteen minutes under water and then dehn go for more air."

Karina Espat, Student

"I learnt that they have eyelashes and they have fingernails too. And you should really take care of them and try not to hurt them."

Aliyah Azueta

Aliyah Azueta, Student

"I learned that we should protect the manatees and not throw anything in the water."

The activity is being held under the theme, "Celebrate and Protect your manatees, Belize." Duane Moody for News Five.

A poster competition for the primary school and an essay competition for high school are also being done in celebration of manatee month.�

Channel 5


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The Sudden Rise in Popularity of Belize's "Sea Cow"


Manatee and calf

More and more people are said to be travelling to Belize just to see the gentle, grazing marine mammal, which is considered by many people to have inspired the myth of the mermaid.

A naturalist guide at the Lodge at Chaa Creek cited a recent article in the Charleston South Carolina Post and Courier as highlighting a growing interest in one of Belize's favourite animals, the manatee, and raises concerns that this iconic Belizean marine mammal may be relocating.

Brion Young, who is also assistant manager of Chaa Creek's Belize Natural History Centre, said the Post and Courier article confirms his own observations about the manatee's growing popularity.

"It seems that the manatee is attracting more attention in our northern neighbours and appears to be growing in numbers when making its annual passage up and down the Atlantic Coast.

"That's good news for us, as public awareness is important for any endangered species.

"But the article also raises issues about whether or not the manatees are relocating, and if so, why? That's something environmentalists will want to start monitoring," Mr Young said.

The Post Courier article quotes James "Buddy" Powell of the "Sea to Shore Alliance", a marine ecology advocacy that tracks manatees, as saying;

"There's even some suspicion that manatees might be gradually relocating. They have been spotted as far north as Massachusetts and now are seen more commonly up and down the East Coast," Powell said.

Mr Powell explained that the manatees might be expanding their range due to population growth or because of warming waters and such threats of increased recreational boat traffic forcing the animals to move to less-crowded waters and making them more reluctant to return.

Mr Young said that manatees are something the average Belizean is well aware of and most locals take precautions to avoid hitting the docile, slow moving creatures.

And while there are many things that draw people to Belize, from the stunning scenery to the many ancient Maya archaeological sites scattered through the tiny country's vast rainforests and protected jungle habitats,naturalist guides at the Lodge at Chaa Creek confirm that an increasing number of visitors say they are also drawn to Belize's less dramatic but no less loveable manatee.

Mr Young, said that there has been a rise in interest in the gentle mammals, which are known in Belize as "sea cows" and in other parts of the world as dugongs.

"I'm not surprised by their appeal. There is something loveable and gentle about them, but the increase in attention has taken our guides a bit by surprise," he said, "Manatees have been around forever, but aren't exactly what you'd call the rock stars of the Belizean marine life," Mr Young said.

And given the huge diversity of exotic wildlife teeming both inland in in Belize's waters, that's not surprising. Inland, the country supports healthy populations of various monkeys, big cats such as jaguars and ocelots, tapirs and other tropical forest denizens, as well a riot of colourful birds such as parrots, macaws, hummingbirds and hundreds of other species.

And with the Caribbean sea teeming with rays, turtles, an assortment of fish to put any aquarium to shame and individuals such as the whale shark, the world's largest fish, the unassuming manatee would seem to need to struggle to get attention.

Hoverer, more and more people are said to be travelling to Belize just to see the gentle, grazing marine mammal, which is considered by many people to have inspired the myth of the mermaid.

Especially while calving, the manatee's breasts can appear quite prominent and, combined with the imagination of lonely mariners may have led to speculation of sea going damsels beckoning from the horizon.

Today's manatee watchers seem to find appeal in the animals' serene motion and gentle beauty as they graze along the bottom, hence the local Belizean name of sea cow.

Once prized as a source of food, the manatee is no longer hunted, Mr Young said, and this had led to a resurgence in their numbers, and possibly greater familiarity and interest in them.

"Now that they have less reason to fear people we're more likely to see them, and with their cute puppy-dog faces people find them irresistible," Mr Young said, "I never expected that the manatee would be a big draw but they really are these days, especially among the children. In fact, we're hoping to find some cuddly plush manatee toys for our gift shop," "Mr Young said, "I'd probably be ordering a few myself. They're that adorable."

Source


MANATEE SIGHTING AT CORAL CANYON, TURNEFFE ATOLL

The Manatee is large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows.


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Wildtracks - Feeding Duke - Belize, 2012

Duke was rescued by volunteers near Belize City and brought to Wildtracks early in 2012. Wildtracks and its amazing volunteers put an enormous amount of time, energy and love into his treatment and rehabilitation. Sadly Duke was never able to recover sufficiently to be able to eat enough on his own and be successfully released back into the wild. After more than two and a half years of daily loving care and treatment, Duke died on September 25, 2014. Wildtracks and its dedicated volunteers are also caring for other manatees as well as Howler and Spider Monkeys and other species, all with the goal of release to the wild if at all possible. Losing Duke is devastating but their work goes on to not only save but restore so many others to their natural habitats. There have been many successes and there will be many more. But Duke will be missed. Here's to Duke.


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Manatees in Belize

Earlier this month, we were lucky enough to stumble upon five manatees during a routine survey at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. In honor of Manatee Awareness Month, we put together this quirky, little video.


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2015 A Bad Year For Manatees


Click photos for more pictures!

In 2014, a record number of manatees (34) were found dead in Belizean waters. Sixty-five percent of the deaths were caused by boats. In the last seven days, two manatees have suffered the same terrible fate: death by propeller. Support efforts on the water to help curb this disturbing trend. Respect no-wake zones and minimize speed in high traffic areas.

Oceana Belize


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One cannot but enjoy this video from Wildtracks.


Today we are celebrating manatees with a short video of Khaleesi...injecting some quiet manatee moments into your busy day!


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The Incredible Story Of How This Man Saved A Baby Manatee Will Melt Your Heart

Awwwww.

A baby manatee is recovering nicely after being rescued by a young volunteer last year.

Mitchell Thomas, 19, found the too-cute-for-words mammal while volunteering for Wildtracks Manatee and Primate Rehabilitation in Belize.

"This little man was found in the waters of Belize struggling to stay at the surface after his mother was presumably killed by a boat," Thomas wrote on Imgur. "An adult manatee was found dead nearby."


Since Thomas was the one responsible for saving the little guy, the conservation and research non-profit named the manatee Mitchell.

Mitch the manatee was taken to the rehabilitation center on June 30, where he was wrapped in a wet t-shirt and doused with water to keep his skin from drying out.

"When he first was placed in the back of the truck, I realized what awful shape he was in," Thomas told BuzzFeed News. "His body seized and thrashed every time he tried to take a breath. Each breath was a wheezy gasp. He was in a lot of pain, probably from a bruised rib or shoulder."

Mitch was in pretty bad shape so Thomas made sure that his new friend had as much help as possible.

"It was clear he was going to need someone to support him at all hours of the day," he said. "I timed his breaths on the way back to Wildtracks and was the first person to hop into the intensive care pool with him. He was lowered into the water and all the volunteers huddled around to see what would happen. He immediately struggled to stay at the surface and I had to hold him up to allow him to breathe."

Over the course of the next week, there was someone to monitor and support Mitch 24 hours a day.

"It was as if every breath he was terrified he was going to take in water," Thomas said. "We thought perhaps he had nearly drowned and was afraid it would happen again. I was very concerned he wouldn't make it through the first night. He proved to be a real fighter though! All the volunteers took turns; one person sitting in the water and one person sitting out of the water to time his breaths and get help if needed. I remember sitting in the pool with him in the chilly water in the dark at 3 am and thinking there was no where else I would rather be."


How's this for adorable overload? Mitch loves sucking on people's fingers or rest on the backs of their knees.

"Without his mother, I think he was just searching for the interaction and attention he would have been receiving from her," Thomas said. "As soon as someone entered the water he stayed right near them. He would maintain constant contact with you if you moved around the pool."

Mitch now shares the pool with another rescued calf, bonding and getting to know each other. Thomas just loves the idea of that.

"It's great knowing that he will one day be returned to the wild where he belongs," he said.

You can donate to Wildtracks here.

MTV.com


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K
No manatees are not important. Certainly not as important as cruise ship tourism. We are decimating the manatee population around Belize City (the largest known breeding ground for this species) and now will do the same buy allowing cruise ship passengers to rent and drive fast boats on Placencia lagoon and murder that population. All satisfy the cruise ship passengers. Who are important. Manatees are not


Belize based travel specialist
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Antillean Manatee face extinction

Protecting the environment and wildlife has never been as important as it is today across the world. The balance of nature may literally be hanging by the thread as human continue mass developments on land and sea. Here in Belize, the struggle is ever present and one fight involves saving manatees. Belize is home to one of four existing species of manatees, the Antillean Manatee, a sub species of the West Indian Manatee. More than that, Belize is home to the largest number of Antillean Manatee but even so, these animals face extinction.


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Reef Week 2015 Manatee Conservation in Belize

Manatees - Why are they important? This Reef Week 2015, Wildtracks and its partners at SACD have put together a short video to explore manatees, and why they are important to Sarteneja, and to Belize. Manatees in the wild, manatees in rehabilitation... Enjoy!


Saving the Real Belizean Mermaids Be Kind Belize Fact-Sheet


Click here for the "Saving the Real Belizean Mermaids Be Kind Belize Fact-Sheet" as a pdf.

For other Be Kind Belize Factsheets, CLICK HERE!


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Manatee Appreciation Day

The last Wednesday of March is Manatee Appreciation Day - join us in appreciating Belize's manatees!


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Manatees at Coral Gardens

My wife and I were snorkeling off of the reef near Caye Caulker, Belize. We were blessed to swim with 2 male and a female manatee for probably 30 minutes. Gentle giants.


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Sea to Shore Alliance Belize Manatee Project

Belize is home to the largest population of Antillean Manatees in the world! But since the start of 2017 alone, a total of 7 manatees have been reported dead. It is important for us as Belizeans to help protect this endangered species before it's too late. Listen to what you can do to be a "Hu-manatee-arian"!

Sea to Shore Alliance works to protect and conserve our world's fragile coastal ecosystems and the endangered species that call them home. We focus on the conservation of flagship species, such as manatees, sea turtles, and right whales, to ensure greater protection for the species themselves and for the sensitive habitats these animals rely on around the world. Sea to Shore Alliance biologists and ecologists combine passion for their work with technical expertise to conduct rigorous scientific research, share their knowledge with managers to ensure adequate protection for endangered species, educate the public and conserve our coastal environments for the benefit of both people and animals.


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MANATEE STAMPEDE BELIZE IT

Manatee are spotted on occasion at Caye Caulker Cut and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Lucky for me to be at the rite place at the rite time. Hopefully you will too, first step you need to get there and get wet! Please practice the no touch rule as you only view from a distance these beautiful and graceful creatures.


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Think Manatees are Recovered? Look Farther South

Manatees in Belize face increasing threats from development-and potentially from the U.S.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made headlines around the world earlier this month when it proposed that the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and its relative the Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus) no longer be listed as "endangered." Instead, the agency said, the famed sea cows should be considered merely "threatened," a designation that means they're no longer immediately threatened with extinction.

That may be true in Florida, but manatees face much greater threats elsewhere. In fact, some conservationists fear that this announcement could be the thing that pushes some populations of Antillean manatee-the subspecies that ranges through the Caribbean and down through about half of the east coast of South American-into extinction.

"The FWS is painting it as if things are good," says Jamal Galvez, a research biologist with the Sea to Shore Alliance who has been working on manatee conservation in his native Belize for more than 15 years. "Their assessment doesn't take into account what is happening down here in Belize."

What's happening there isn't very good. Just like in Florida, the manatees in Belize find their habitat shrinking due to coastal development, much of which supports the country's vital tourism industry. Galvez says developers have dredged seagrass beds, torn out mangrove forests and built cruise ship ports in the critical habitats where manatees live.

More tourism also means more high-speed boats, and that means more injured and killed manatees. At least 40 manatees, the highest number to date, were killed in 2015 by boats or other human factors such as fishing nets. Three have already been killed this year, Galvez reports.

"The pressures that have been brought on this population have only been increasing through the years," he says. "I can't say that we have been able to stop anything that is having an impact on them."

Belize actually has one of the largest populations of Antillean manatees. The country has approximately 1,000 of the animals living along its relatively small coastline, Galvez says, making it arguably the most important country for manatee conservation outside of the U.S.

Unfortunately, the recent FWS announcement made news in Belize, and Galvez says it has caused many people to believe that all manatee conservation is now a job well done and that the animals are no longer at risk. "People are calling me and saying 'Jamal, you did it, you did it,' and I'm not accepting that. I know that the population is not in a good place," he says.

Galvez worries that the announcement will slow-or even reverse-the progress that he and other conservationists have had over the past decade. "We've worked so hard to get people to see that they are at risk and trying to convince people why they should change their behavior," he says. All of that, he fears, is now up in the air.

"That perception that they are not endangered could very well cause them to go extinct," he says.

Manatees are legally protected in Belize, but the country's Wildlife Protection Act hasn't been updated since 1981 and only goes so far. "It doesn't do much to protect manatees by itself," Galvez says.

What has apparently worked, however, is the U.S. Endangered Species Act. That law may not have had any direct influence in Belize, but Galvez says it does help small or developing nations like Belize to set the standards for both conservation and conversation. "Being on the Endangered Species Act was what really got people concerned about the manatee here in Belize."

The next few years could be critical for Belize's manatees. "We're not even close to seeing this population as biologically stable," Galvez says. "We don't have information that they're reproducing at the rates that we need." Meanwhile, new ports continue to be built and the threats to manatees continue to grow.

Other dangers, such as global warming, potentially wait on the horizon. That's why Galvez says tackling issues such as habitat loss, boat strikes, fishing nets and pollution is so important in Belize today. "We need to control the issues that we can control."

Scientific American

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Manatees On The Edge - Saving Charlie

While the US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering downgrading not only the Florida sub-species of manatee, but also the Antillean sub-species found in Central America, Belize is battling to stabilize its manatee population. Belize has a maximum count of just over 500 manatees in its coastal waters, with the total national population estimated at between 700 and 1,000, and a regional population estimated at 2,500. In 2015 alone, 40 manatees were reported and verified as dead,many of them in the Belize City / Belize River area, primarily from watercraft collisions linked to the increasing tourism boat traffic in the area. This is not good. This is not sustainable.

By the middle of February this year, another seven fatalities were reported, with Charlie making the eighth manatee stranding for 2016.

With the increasing number of boats in key manatee areas, the threat of more injured and / or orphaned manatees is also increasing, placing greater strain on the already full facilities at the Manatee Rehabilitation Centre.

Please consider donating today to the Saving Charlie Appeal, and join us in ensuring that manatees in rehabilitation in Belize have the facilities they need to heal and rejoin the wild population... Link: http://igg.me/at/9bx4qCOTJ38 Paypal: [email protected]


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March 30th is observed as Manatee Appreciation Day! A day devoted to raising awareness about these quirky creatures. Unfortunately, Antillean Manatee (West Indian manatee or "sea cow") are endangered. Even though hunting manatees is illegal in Belize, they continue to be poached for their meat and hide, and are more often fatally injured in collisions with speeding and unconscious boats. It is important to increase manatee awareness so that these fascinating animals will continue to exist in the future.

Luckily, here in Belize there are hard working organization striving to protect these gentle giants. From the non-profit Wildtracks to the government Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute, their tireless work are keeping these species alive!

San Pedro Sun



Daniel The Orphan Manatee Visits from Chetumal, Mexico

Meet Daniel the friendly manatee; he lives in semi-captivity in Laguna Guerrero, Chetumal Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico, but lately has found his way down the coast of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. As you can see Daniel is super friendly and apparently loves the company of children.

Daniel visited the Rivero ranch just west of Ambergris Caye in the calm waters of the lagoon-side of the island. He approached Angelique and her cousin and decided to stay around and play for a while. "It took the girls a few minutes to get in the water with him," stated Johnnia Rivero Duarte. "What a great experience for them. He came so close when he heard them playing and left until they went inside. He actually wrapped his front flippers around Angelique as if he was hugging her."

Daniel the manatee is under the supervision of ECOSUR (Colegio de al Frontera Sur) Environmental Research Center in the Chetumal area. In May he was tagged with a tracking system that consists of a latex belt (seen on its tail), nylon rod, and satellite radio transmitter. So the staff at ECOSUR most definitely know of Daniel's whereabout in Belize as the transmitter sends his location data back to them.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the Ambergris Today


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Video screen capture Cristina Mittermeier Photography

Florida's manatees loved to death in this timelapse video

Manatee are those teddy bears of the sea. Rotund, gentle sea-cows that everyone loves to be around -- an unfortunate thing, for the manatees. We've written about the plight of Florida's manatees in the past -- images from photographer Rebecca Jackrel show the beauty of the creatures as well as the dangers they face in trying to rest in a river visited by so many people, including people who are there specifically to see the manatees.

Conservation photographer Cristina Mittermeier points out that the "love" we have for manatees is also a source of trouble for the species. The animals come to Crystal River Springs as a refuge during the winter. It is a place for them to rest and conserve energy in warm waters. But with so little protection from the many people pressing in on them -- including touching, riding, and otherwise harassing them, not to mention the injuries they sustain from boat propellers slicing into them as they sit just below the water's surface -- our desire to be near them is preventing them from getting that much needed rest.

Here, in a timelapse video made by Mittermeier and fellow photographer Neil Ever Osborne, you can see just how much interaction the manatees are forced to deal with all day, every day. You'll even see a manatee stampede, which happens when a sudden loud noise onshore scares them. Mittermeier states that this happens several times a day. The video reveals just how little space manatees get for themselves, and how much more protection we need to be offering these animals who are, we cannot forget, members of an endangered species.


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Manatee tour from the one and only Jamal!

Did you know manatees were once thought to be mermaids? Join us for a mini Manatee tour with Jamal Galves and learn all about proper manatee manners when encountering these gentle sea cows.


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Cocktails For The Manatees Fundraiser

Today's fundraiser to protect our manatees. With Manatee Man Jamal Galves. On Open Your Eyes, 20 minute video.


Things are looking up for endangered Antillean manatee, but the work is not done. This year we are seeing a slight reversal over previous trends. At least part of this can be attributed to the hard work of staff and volunteers of the Sea to Shore Alliance and our parthners, who along with the people of Belize are committed to protecting them here, in their last stronghold.

Our efforts include outreach and education on the importance of these gentle giants to the ecosystem and our economy of Belize, workshops with tour guides to minimize the impact of curious visitors, increased no-wake signage and our ongoing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate injured manatees.

Of course this work relies on the generosity of sponsors. So for the second year in a row we'll be hosting "Cocktails with the Manatees," an evening of pleasant socialization around this important cause.

It will be held on Saturday October 15th, 2016, from 7:00pm to midnight at the Hour Bar Field on Princess Margaret Drive. Admission fee is $30, entertained by the GillHarry Band, drinks and light food will be on sale along with raffles and live action to raise funds to protect our manatees.Come and join us.

Saturday, October 15 at 8 PM - 11 PM, Hour Bar Belize
1 Princess Margaret Drive, Belize City


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Sea to Shore Alliance launches Manatee Conservation Campaign


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Environmentalists Work to Save Manatees and Others from Stranding

Every so often there are news reports about manatees getting caught up in boat propellers, or swallowing garbage that chokes them, or having other kinds of distress that causes them to become stranded on land. What you may not know is that it happens more often than we think and there are hazards associated with it. A Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network is established, since 2005, to tend to emergencies involving manatees and, less commonly, sea turtles and dolphins. But it has been dormant for a while, and the group of organizations who are now members met under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Belize City for three days of training on how best to respond to and coordinate rescues of these gentle sea creatures. Aaron Humes attended and learned the do's and don'ts of taking care of stranded sea mammals.

Aaron Humes, Reporting

Manatees, dolphins and sea turtles are some of the gentlest creatures in the deep - don't mess with them, and usually they won't mess with you. But sometimes, interaction between humans and these creatures is unavoidable and occasionally violent. And that is where the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network comes in to pick up the pieces. It's monitoring shows that fatalities involving manatees have been on the rise in recent years, and public cooperation is needed to reverse that trend.

Jamal Galvez, Program Coordinator, Sea to Shore Alliance

"There has been drastic increases in manatee mortalities; for instance in 2015, they had forty-four dead manatees, the year before it was thirty something. And in 2016, however, there was a decrease, mainly due to the increased effort we have been putting in monitoring boats, working with tour operators. We have just been trying to put methods in place to try and alleviate some of the threats that have been presented to these animals; however, we already have fourteen for this year, mainly because we lost a lot of effort that we put in last year due to the hurricane - the signs have gone down. The efforts need to be re-instated again, so we are going to increase, put the signs back in place and try to work with these boat operators to get ahold of the situation because fourteen already is quite a steep number to have racked up in such a short time."

The three-day workshop underway in Belize City has the purpose of re-establishing the Network, which now involves N.G.O.'s in outposts from Corozal to Toledo. Biologist Kirah Castillo, a founding member who works in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve off Ambergris Caye, speaks to its importance.

Kirah Castillo, Biologist, Hol Chan Marine Reserve

"The Network has certainly helped to add support ot the capacity of different organizations that are member organizations to address stranding issues. What has happened is that it went dormant for a while - while the members were still active in their different organizations, we haven't been active as a group. So what this workshop is going to do is to help us see how we can start back working together; how to strengthen the Network again - because it still exists - but how to start putting in the same things we had in the past; who to respond, who to call, and the response procedures."

Visiting trainers from the U.S., Andy Garrett of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Dr. Claire Simeone of the Marine Mammal Center speak to the various causes of stranding and why caution is needed in handling these innocent creatures.

Andy Garrett, Biologist/Trainer

"Particularly with manatees and dolphins, sometimes you have manatees and dolphins that become orphaned - separated from their mom for some reason and become distressed for that reason; dolphins can also ingest things, manatees can ingest things that can cause them to strand, also, depending on boats being near manatees, they can hit manatees and cause a stranding as well."

Dr. Claire Simeone, Marine Veterinarian/Trainer

"If a marine mammal is on land, that would be abnormal since they should be spending their time in the water and so often, animals that are on land are sick for some reason and so, if you push them back into the water then unfortunately they are just going to become sicker and come back up onto land. So it is important to notify the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and then they send out their colleagues to assess the situation. Because these mammals can have diseases that can be transferred to humans; so we want to make sure that humans are safe as well."

Ultimately, says Galvez, the crime lies not in the accidental collision, but in failing to render aid.

Jamal Galvez

"It's best to leave it, correct; but call it in, let us be aware of it. If you hit a manatee with a boat it's not a crime, to hit a manatee with a boat - accidents do happen. We cannot monitor boats where manatees are at the same time, so calling us gives us an opportunity to go out and actually find the animal and perhaps the animal is injured - a minor injury that can be fixed, and we have cases that successfully [have] animals that have been rehabilitated; but if you leave the animal out there with an injury, there's no aid, it leaves it to suffer and eventually die."

Aaron Humes reporting for News Five.

The number to reach the network is 615-3838. Manatees, dolphins, some whales and sea turtles are all protected under the laws of Belize and any attempt to profit from them is a crime. On Thursday and Friday the workshop will move to practical exercises involving work with dead manatees and dolphins.

Channel 5


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Video: Manatee Feeding

We're in Belize with our One Species partner, Wildtracks. It's Day 1 of Elena's stay at Wildtracks, and there's so much to learn! Up first, a tour and a manatee feeding!

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'Sound' research shows slower boats may cause manatees more harm than good

Slower boat speeds reduce risks to manatees. Or do they? Not exactly, according to new research. In fact, the very laws enacted to slow down boats in manatee habitats may actually be doing more harm than good. Slowing down boats makes it more difficult for manatees to detect and locate approaching boats. An innovative alerting device is proving to deliver a better solution.


About 100 manatees are killed each year by boats, making it the leading cause of death for this species. Not only are they hit frequently, they are hit repeatedly and have the scars to prove it.
Credit: Florida Atlantic University

Slower boat speeds reduce risks to manatees. Or do they? Not exactly, according to research conducted at Florida Atlantic University. In fact, the very laws enacted to slow down boats in manatee habitats may actually be doing more harm than good. However, an innovative alerting device is proving to deliver a better solution.

About 100 manatees are killed each year by boats, making it the leading cause of death for this species. Not only are they hit frequently, they are hit repeatedly and have the scars to prove it. It is often thought that's because these gentle giants move too slowly to get out of harm's way or perhaps they are not smart enough to know better.

Not true according to Edmund Gerstein, Ph.D., director of marine mammal research in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and his wife Laura, who have spent the last 20 years researching manatees to get to the root of this problem and to dispel these myths. What they have discovered is that manatees have difficulty hearing and locating low frequency sounds like the humming of an idling engine or a slow moving boat. Shallow and murky waters further exacerbate this problem and make boats both acoustically and visually invisible to unwary manatees.

"The idea of slowing down boats to protect manatees might make us feel better, but it has direct acoustic consequences in shallow water that place manatees at greater risk of collisions," said Edmund Gerstein. "While a slow speed zone may reduce the chance of death during a collision, they have not mitigated the number of collisions that kill and may have actually increased the number of non-fatal injuries."

Slowing down boats makes it more difficult for manatees to detect and locate approaching boats, while increasing the transect times or how long it takes for boats to actually pass through manatee habitats. When manatees are unable to reliably detect approaching boats, increasing time of exposure increases the risk of collisions.

"The increase in multiple propeller and boat scar patterns we are seeing on surviving animals is consistent with the implementation of slow speed zones in their habitats," said Edmund Gerstein. "Today, we have living manatees that have been hit dozens of times some with as much as 50 different scar patterns from boat encounters."

After years of exhaustive testing of manatees' hearing abilities, the Gersteins uncovered that these marine mammals are good at detecting and locating high-frequency noises, specifically between 16,000 and 18,000 kilohertz. Unfortunately, the dominant frequencies from a slow moving boat range from 0.05 to 0.8 kilohertz and manatees are not adapted to hear these sounds.

Armed with this important information, these researchers came up with an innovative solution -- the Manatee Alerting Device (MAD). This alerting device projects a low intensity, highly directional narrow band of sound directly in front of approaching boats. The selected signals exploit the manatees' best hearing and localization abilities and is only audible to manatees in the direct path of an approaching vessel.

The Gersteins tested their device in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge surrounding the Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. They used synchronized acoustic buoys and video cameras to measure the distance at which the manatees would flee from an approaching boat with and without their alerting device. The study was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense and Legacy Resource Management Program, and the results were dramatic.

Without the alarm, 95 percent of the wild manatees did not change their behavior as the boat approached them. They did not respond or avoid the boat, until it came so close, it was forced to veer away to avoid hitting them. With the alarm it was the complete opposite; 95 percent of the manatees moved away from the oncoming vessel. On average, the distance the manatees fled the vessels with the alarm was about 20 meters as compared to 6 meters without the alarm. The researchers point out that it is actually in the manatees' repertoire to move away from the boats when they are loud enough above the prevailing background noise for them to reliably hear.

"The Gerstein's field tests have clearly demonstrated the efficacy of the novel parametric manatee alerting device they developed," said Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., dean of FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "This acoustic solution is arming manatees with sensory awareness and should be an important component in the conservation of one of Florida's most beloved marine mammals as well as required equipment for boaters."

About 20 years ago the Gerstein's along Dr. Joseph Blue (now deceased), director of the the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Undersea Reference Detachment and Naval Undersea Warfare Center, established Leviathan Legacy Inc. and patented the alerting device. The MAD should cost about $120 once it becomes commercially available. Edmund Gerstein notes they have a similar parametric acoustic device designed for the bows of large ships to reduce the risk of ship strikes and watercraft collisions with whales and other marine animals.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida manatee is a native species found in many of Florida's waterways. First listed as a federal endangered species in 1966, the Florida manatee population has grown to over 6,000 animals today. Florida manatees were first protected through Florida State Law in 1893. Manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (S379.2431(2), Florida Statutes) and are federally protected by both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Story Source: Materials provided by Florida Atlantic University.


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Wildtracks Staff Vlog: Manatee Morning

As the sun rises, the Manatee Team rises as well to start the first feeds for the six manatees in rehabilitation at Wildtracks. We appreciate our manatees in November - Manatee Awareness Month...and also appreciate our Manatee volunteers, who go beyond the expected to ensure that these manatees are able to return to the wild.

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The fight against time to save the Antillean manatee

Positive strides made over the past two decades to protect and increase the threatened Antillean manatee population in Belize may have once again been undermined over more recent years by human interference.

Estimates are that there are fewer than 2,500 adult Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) are left in the wild and their numbers are on a sharp decline - the foremost reason: violent collisions with boats due to reckless boat operators speeding through their natural habitat.

Their Plight

Belize is home to the largest remaining population of Antillean manatees found along the entire coast of Central America and the Antilles. These gentle sea mammals must surface every few minutes in order to breathe and that is when their lives become most threatened. They are fun creatures to observe in the water because they are so agile that people have seen them doing rolls, somersaults, and swimming upside-down!

Despite their size and stubbly snout, manatees are slow-moving and do not have complex predator fleeing skills because as they evolved over time, they did so in locations that had no natural predators such as killer whales and large sharks.

But human interaction continues to be the deadliest threats to the survival of these marine mammals, with all other causes, including entanglement in gill nets, hunting, and habitat destruction, also being a result of human activity.

Habitat destruction occurs with the advent of more factories and pollution, as well as chemicals that are dumped into the waters where manatees live. This can result in bacteria and parasites developing that destroy these animals in large numbers.

Such environmental changes have also led to global warming. This can make it hard for the manatee to find food in their natural habitat. Some of the water areas dry up too and they end up stranded. As a result they will starve to death because they aren't able to navigate without enough water.

What Belize is doing

Awareness campaigns about manatee protection, especially in critical areas where manatee deaths are caused the most, such as Belize City and southern Belize, are being carried out by Sea to Shore Alliance, which works with the Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries, the Belize Tourism Board, the Belize Port Authority, tour guides, boat operators, schools and concerned residents.

While enforcement resources are stretched out thinly, Sea to Shore's manatee researcher, Jamal Galves told the Reporter that the organization and the enforcement agencies will continue to carry out patrols to ensure that boaters comply with the regulations in place.

"Yearly tour guides and boaters training to keep up with the increase in the tourism sector. Education and awareness in schools and public places will be complimented with research activities such as a manatee health assessment, radio-tracking and monitoring using drones, conducting boat surveys, and lobbying for better protection for this species are being done," Galves said.

Manatee Facts You Didn't Know

Manatees are herbivores that feed on over 60 species of aquatic plants in fresh and salt water. When the tide is high enough, they will also feed on grasses and leaves, and will eat some fish and small invertebrates. They graze for five or more hours per day, consuming between 4 and 10 percent of their body weight.

Manatees can weigh up to 1,200 pounds and even though they traverse salt and fresh waters, they can maintain the correct nutritional balance in their bodies through their kidneys to regulate salt concentrations.

Manatees have low metabolic rates and minimal fat protection from cold water, so they stick to water that is 60 degrees or warmer. Even though they may look fat and insulated, their large bodies are mostly made up of their stomach and intestines.

The closest living relatives of manatees are elephants. Manatees evolved from the same land animals as elephants over 50 million years ago.

Manatees, like their elephant relatives, continuously replace their teeth throughout their lives.

Manatee brains are smooth and the ratio of their brain to their body size is the lowest of any mammal. They may not be as clever as dolphins, but manatees can learn basic tasks, are extremely sensitive to touch and can differentiate colors.

Female manatees usually have one calf every two to five years and the calf nurses for two years. The mother's teats are found where the forward limbs meet the body. Calves also can start nibbling on plants at only a few weeks old.

The Reporter


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Cruise Tourism a Big Threat to Belize's Endangered Manatees

By Colette Kase

Visitors to Belize, a small country just south of Mexico, are so enthralled with manatees that they eagerly pay the high price of $100 or more per person, for a manatee sighting tour even though they are always warned that they may not see a single one of these elusive aquatic herbivores. But their desire to view this enigmatic marine mammal in its natural habitat might be helping push an endangered manatee subspecies further towards extinction.

Although manatees stay in estuarine or marine environments for long periods of time they do require frequent access to freshwater. The problem in Belize is that the rivers these manatees use to seek out fresh water, to mate and to raise their young are traversed by up to 18 sight-seeing tour boats daily. None of those boats are exclusively for manatee watching and usually travel far too swiftly to enable tourists to see them anyway.

If the population were better protected from the sort of mass tourism cruise ships are bringing to the country, Belize could be the source for an increase in manatee numbers across the region. Unfortunately, it seems that these kinds of tours exploit rather than appreciate the beauty of Belize.

The Belize government seems to have good intentions. Representatives from the country's forest and fisheries departments are on the National Manatee Working Group, which is developing and providing recommendations to the government and has come up with a National Manatee Recovery Plan.

Click here to read the rest of the extensive article and see more photos in the Earth Island Journal


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Sea to Shore Alliance - protection of manatee population in Belize

Jamal Galves, Coordinator, Sea to Shore Alliance, continues his advocacy work to protect the manatee population of Belize. He was our guests to talk about the latest campaigns.

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Friends of Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary held a training session to sensitise boat captains to decrease manatee deaths in Belize.

We spoke to three persons and got insight on what the training entailed and the reason behind it.

They also spoke on training the captains on communication with guests on their tours when showing them the manatee sanctuary.



Island tour guides and boat captains attend Manatee Conservation Workshop

Welcoming everyone to the workshop was Hol Chan Marine Reserve Marine Biologist Kirah Forman-Castillo, who explained what would be covered during the workshop. The first presentation was given by manatee advocate Jamal Galves from Clear Water Marine Aquarium Research Institute and the Protect Our Manatees Belize organization. Galves is a self-made manatee expert who has dedicated much of his life to the protection of these animals. He shared the basic details of these gentle giants, including their habitats, importance to society, population dynamics, reproduction, eating habits, and the threats they face in Belize. He shared that Belize has the largest population of these creatures, which is approximately one thousand in our waters. However, in recent years, the death toll of manatees has drastically increased, mostly due to watercraft collisions. Thus, the need for the workshop to educate boat captains and tour guides on how they can do their part in ensuring manatees are not hurt or killed at sea. Manatee deaths are also caused by dredging, pollution, gill nets, and even poaching. Forman-Castillo added that sea turtles are being affected by boat collisions on Ambergris Caye. She asked that boat captains drive carefully to avoid harming or killing these precious creatures as well.

Next up was BFD's Oswaldo Pott, who reminded the attendees that manatees are protected in Belize under the Wildlife Protection Act, No. 4 of 1981, whose jurisdiction is under the Forest Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources. Under this Act, no person shall hunt, meaning "to kill, molest by any methods and includes attempting to kill, take or molest by any method" any manatee. Anyone who hunts a manatee will be fined $500 on a first offense, and $1000 and/or imprisonment for six months, for previously convicted wildlife offenders.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun


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The Antillean manatee produces broadband vocalizations with ultrasonic frequencies

Antillean manatees produce vocalizations reported to be important for communication, but their vocal behavior throughout their geographic range is poorly understood. A SoundTrap recorder (sample rates: 288/576 kHz) was deployed in Belize to record vocalizations of wild manatees in a seagrass channel and of a young rehabilitated and released manatee in a shallow lagoon. Spectral analysis revealed broadband vocalizations with frequencies up to 150 kHz and a high proportion of calls with ultrasonic components. Ultrasonic frequency components appear prevalent in their vocal repertoire and may be important to manatee communication.

Vocalizations of wild manatees were recorded on the leeward side of St. George's Caye (SGC), a small crescent-shaped island located 9.5 km east of mainland Belize near the Belize Barrier Reef [Figs. 1(a) and 1(b)]. Recordings were made from 1015 h on July 8 to 1410 h on July 10, 2017. The caye is surrounded by expansive seagrass flats, sand patches, and deep channels and holes, and the area is regularly inhabited by manatees of all ages and sex classes (Ramos et al., 2017). The presence and vocalizations of at least eight different manatees, and likely more, were documented at this site during recordings that were part of several ongoing studies (e.g., Ramos et al., 2017; Ramos et al., 2018).

CLICK HERE for the rest of the article

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The Incredible Protection Of The Manatees Of Belize | Real WildTD Animal
Highlighting the work of researchers protecting manatees in Belize, we join a team of incredible individuals who work round the clock to keep these rare creatures healthy.

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GENTLE GIANTS LOOKING FOR LOVE IN OUR COROZAL BAY ON 4TH OF JULY

Splish! Splash! We we're taking a bath. A mating herd of about 8-10 manatees has been making its rounds along our Corozal Bay since this morning. We were lucky enough to have spotted them chasing each other around the shallow waters infront of Rainbow Park and Beach just before noon today. It appeared that this herd of manatees was just looking for love in our Bay.

The largest female appeared to be between 8-9 feet in length. It is the first time that I have personally witnessed such an aggregation of manatees anywhere in our beautiful Belize. What a privilege to have been able to video these gentle giants.



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Manatees have mass gathering in Florida:

HUNDREDS OF MANATEES: Eagle 8 HD had found hundreds of manatees near the Teco Power Plant in Apollo Beach. Manatees are known to gather there in the winter for warmth.


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Oceana Belize just published their latest article, Saving Belize's Sea Cows: A National Priority, written by guest blogger, Courtney Weatherburne. In this feature, she discusses the heartbreaking reality of recent manatee deaths and the importance of protecting these gentle giants in Belizean waters.

[Linked Image]

Written by: Courtney Weatherburne

On the morning of Monday, January 18th 2021, Jamal Galves woke up about 6:00AM as he usually does. He was particularly thrilled that day about hitting the road to Placencia where he would collect data from a tagged manatee he was monitoring. Jamal is always eager to see his favorite animal in the world. As he was preparing for the day ahead, his phone rang around 6:30AM. It was a jogger who had spotted a dead manatee in the Seashore Promenade area in Belize City. Jamal was crestfallen after he hung up the phone. This was the 4th manatee to turn up dead so far this year, 3rd in one week. Instead of heading to Placencia to meet his live languid friend that morning, he had to journey to Belize City to retrieve a dead one.

Jamal Galves has worked over 20 years in manatee conservation. He is currently the program coordinator in Belize for Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The organization's mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release animals back into the wild. In Belize, Jamal's focus is on Antillean manatees.

The Antillean manatee is an endangered species of manatee found in the Caribbean Sea. Belize has the largest remaining population of Antillean manatee. The estimated population is 1,000, but the numbers have been dwindling since then, which has prompted Jamal and his Clearwater Marine Aquarium team to plan an updated population count this year. But based on Jamal's data, there have been 186 reported manatee deaths over the last 5 years, that's over 30 manatee lives snuffed out per year with the exception of 2020. In a January 2021 interview with 7news Belize Jamal stated "Last year we had a significant decrease in manatee death which is as a result of COVID-19 and the lockdown. We only had 24 incidents last year comparing to 2019, we had 40." But now that restrictions are being lifted, danger re-emerges.

There are a number of threats to manatees including poaching, pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, habitat destruction from coastal developments but according to Jamal "boat collisions are the leading cause of manatee deaths in Belize". These watercraft incidents involve both local water taxi's and boat tours from cruise tourism. Manatees are either struck by the hull or hacked by the propellers. The hot spots for manatee deaths are Belize City and Placencia due to heavy boating activity, but Belize City specifically the Belize River Mouth is the most dangerous place for manatees to be. Over 60% of manatee deaths occur in the Belize River Mouth, an area manatees migrate to for fresh water. Although there have been continuous training sessions for water taxi drivers and boat captains on how to safely navigate the river to avoid manatee injury or death, Jamal and his team keep fishing dead manatees out of the water with huge, unsightly gashes all over their body.

One of the four manatees found dead this year so far was as a result of one of the most vicious boat collision incidents Jamal has ever seen. Jamal found the helpless manatee in the sea near the Bliss Institute in Belize City with its back split open; its lacerated body rocking against the waves at the blood-tinged surface. There was nothing Jamal could have done to save the manatee. But quite frankly, Jamal can't save all the manatees on his own. While many Belizeans commendably do their part in reporting dead and injured manatees that wash ashore, a whole lot more needs to be done to protect manatees through government intervention and enforcement.


Sure, COVID-19 and the mammoth impact it continues to have on people's lives and the country holds the spotlight as the most pressing issue right now but that doesn't mean manatee conservation shouldn't also be a priority. According to Jamal "there is a lack of enforcement by the authorities." Jamal confirms that there haven't been any documented cases where water taxi drivers have been fined or charged for driving recklessly in 'no wake' zones, neither has there been any water taxi driver charged or held accountable for injuring or killing a manatee with their boats. But Jamal is optimistic about the future of manatees.

He says that the revised Fisheries Act 2020 now includes the protection of manatees as a mandate of the fisheries department, and Jamal and his team are optimistic about their continued collaboration with the department. The coast guard is also a dedicated ally as they are always willing to assist in patrolling. There is also hope in the impact of sustained awareness and conservation efforts such as the establishment of Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary and Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary which are dedicated to the protection of the Antillean manatees.

All these efforts can make a difference. But if nothing is done, the Antillean manatee specie will go extinct in Belize. Period!
Like Jamal says, manatees don't pay taxes but they are an integral part of Belize's marine ecosystem. Manatees eat over 100 pounds of sea grass a day, keeping aquatic vegetation low which prevents obstruction by overgrowth. Manatee feces also provides nutritious food for our precious fisheries like lobster and conch, certainly, this is not something we want to think about when enjoying a luscious grilled lobster tail� but manatees, like all other animals, play a crucial role in the overall health and balance of the ecosystem. The sooner we realize and accept this, the better it will be for us and of course for our graceful aquatic friends who, just like us, are trying to survive.

We, can help Belize's manatees survive, by continuing to report injured or dead manatees to manatee conservationist Jamal Galves and/or the Fisheries Department, reporting vessels that are seen speeding in no wake zones to the Belize Coast Guard and Belize Port Authority, supporting fundraising efforts of those working to safeguard and protect manatees and spreading awareness of the importance of protecting manatees among family and friends and on social media.

Numbers to Call:

Jamal Galves (501) 615-3838 (Point Person)
Fisheries Department (501) 224-4552
Belize Coast Guard (501) 614-1239
Belize Port Authority (501) 222-5665

** Photo provided by Clearwater Marine Aquarium's team in Belize.

https://belize.oceana.org/blog/saving-belize's-sea-cows-national-priority-0

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Seeing one of these gentle giants in their natural element is truly a treat. This endangered species is one that Belize is working hard to preserve.


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Did you know that reporting a manatee in trouble as soon as you see it may be the most important step you can take towards saving its life...and this is especially so for orphaned calves.

Wildtracks joins the Belize Fisheries Department and Clearwater Marine Aquarium in asking you to save and share this post to raise awareness of the emergency contacts for reporting injured manatees or orphaned calves in Belize...you call may save their lives.

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Marty Offline OP
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Swim with Manatees' Best Practices

The Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is an endangered species and protected in Belize under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1982 (Cap 220, Revised 2000). Currently, there is an estimated population of about 700 to 1000 manatees in the country which represents a stronghold in the region.

Snorkeling with manatees is now and important recreational activity for tourist and locals. The reef area in north Cave Caulker Channel has become a popular attraction. Several Tour
operators are now using this reef site as a recreational area for snorkeling with manatees.

Therefore, we need to establish guidelines that can guarantee the safety of the animal and ensuring that this recreational area is maintained healthy for the long-term.

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