Source: US Fish and Wildlife

"ICON"-OGRAPHY
Considered the “gentle giant” of the sea, the Florida Manatee has become an icon of Florida wildlife. The Florida Manatee, which is a subspecies of the West Indian Manatee, is native to Florida and has become the official marine mammal of the state.

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU
Averaging 10 feet long and 1,500 lbs, the manatee is closely related to the elephant, which is evident by the similarities between their wrinkled grayish-brown skin and toe nails. The manatee also uses its nose like that of an elephant’s trunk by grabbing plants and pulling them into their mouths. The body of the manatee looks like an oversized torpedo that tapers into a paddle-like tail. The tail acts like a boat propeller and allows the animal to move through the water effortlessly. The face of the manatee is covered in wrinkles and has whiskers attached to its snout.

GO WITH THE FLOW
Manatees are gentle and slow moving, spending most of their day eating, resting, and traveling. An adult manatee spends 6 to 8 hours eating. They are completely herbivorous and graze for seagrass and other aquatic plants along the surface or near the bottom of the water. While submerged, manatees can hold there breath for up to 20 minutes at a time. Manatees inhabit the warm waters of the Western Atlantic from here in Florida to Rhode Island and Brazil. Although they are considered shy and elusive, manatees can be found in coastal areas, estuaries, saltwater bays or canals. They have also been known to inhabit areas near power plants because they are attracted to the warmth generated by them.

Resources for this article have been provided by Wikipedia.