Do you remember from your childhood fairytales what mermaids are, where they live and how beautiful they can sing? Though the myths are not true, the creatures that could be called "mermaid" do exist. Manatees, and their cousin, the dugong, are considered to be the living creatures that come closest to mermaids in real life.
Does a manatee swim like a mermaid? /VCG Photo
Manatees are also known as sea cows. They are large aquatic mammals that inhabit the warm water of rivers and coastal marine areas. Currently, there are three types of manatees in the world, the Amazonian manatee, the West India manatee, and the West African manatee.
Two West Indian manatees in Florida, the U.S. /VCG Photo
The manatee is an herbivorous mammal. According to research, the manatee was actually the distant relative of the elephant billions of years ago. After it moved into the water, it evolves with bigger lungs and flat fins to swim, but the plump body and heavy bones remained. Hence, the manatee will spend most of the time swimming slowly in warm, shallow water, looking for a delicious aquatic plant to eat.
A West African manatee is foraging. /VCG Photo
Currently, all the manatees are listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as the population is gradually decreasing. Among all the threats manatees are facing, human activities are the leading cause of death. As the manatees move slowly, ship strikes will cause severe harm to their bodies. Besides, habitat destruction and environmental pollution are also gravely endangering manatees.
(Cover: A West Indian manatee is floating in the water. /VCG Photo)
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