Manatees...The Vanishing Mermaids

The manatees depicted in the video were filmed in the area around Crystal River, Florida, about 80 miles north of Tampa. Crystal River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, giving the manatees access to the sea. The filming took place in February 1997.

Background: Manatees share common ancestry with elephants, both are herbivores and both are threatened with extinction. These serene creatures exist in an ever shrinking habitat. Their winter home in Florida's fresh waterways are also used by an increasing number of power boats that present an everyday threat to the some 2000 surviving manatees.

The reproduction rate is slow in these mammals. Females produce calves once every three to five years. Gestation takes about 13 months. Interesting behavior includes their calm disposition and a sometimes affinity for human contact (see video). They also use their flippers to maneuver food into their mouths to chew or "lick" algae.

Video section #1: cued to a humorous section where a manatee has approached a diver and is harmlessly "mouthing" the region of his fin. There are several pov's for cutting purposes.

Video section #2: rewind tape to head. At about 1-minute or so into tape a manatee is leisurely "licking" algae from a rope dangling over the side of the boat. This rope has spent time in the water passively collecting algae, and the manatee seems to be having a good time removing it from the rope with its unusual mouth. This also demonstrates the unique mouth and how the manatee uses his flippers to position food in its mouth.

Balance of the video images: contain the manatees habitat (underwater pov), several shots of manatees in their habitat, and their interaction with humans. You can see how the manatees sometimes like to play with human snorkelers.

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