Florida manatee

The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), which is also found seasonally in the waters of nearby states, is one subspecies of the West Indian manatee (T. manatus). The other subspecies lives in nearshore waters, lagoons, estuaries, and rivers of eastern Mexico, down the Central American coast,

The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is safeguarded under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, which prohibit any act of harassment, hunting, capture, or killing of listed animals. “Harassment” includes actions that disturb or alter natural behaviors, such…