"November is Manatee Awareness Month, an annual month-long dedication to manatees and their conservation in Florida and beyond. Former Florida Governor Bob Graham first declared November as Manatee Awareness Month in 1979, when the state began designating manatee protection zones in areas where manatees gather during the winter. November is typically when manatees return to Florida’s warmer waters from their summer migratory routes."

(from the Save the Manatee Club website)




It is estimated that in the late 1960s the Florida manatee population was just several hundred. In 1973, the year the federal Endangered Species Act was passed, manatees became charter members of the list. 

At the time of the awareness month designation there were 800 to 1,000 manatees. Two years later, Save the Manatee Club was founded by Jimmy Buffet and the then-governor of Florida, Bob Graham.

Save the Manatee Club’s efforts have been critical to the recovery of the manatee. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded as many as 6,620 manatees in its 2017 aerial survey.

However that progress has been reversed by the deadliest years on record.

Manatees travel close to shore and into warm springs and inner waterways in winter, where they feed primarily on seagrass.These are their safe havens against winter water temperatures that can cause cold stress and death. Recently, because of decades of human-produced pollution, seagrass beds have been choked out by algae blooms leading to a massive loss of seagrass. Marine biologists state that the current tragic die-off of manatees is due to starvation. In 2021 more than 1,100 manatees perished. Those that ventured along the coast in search of food risked death from cold stress or boat strike. In 2022, the preliminary estimate is that 800 of these beloved creatures perished.

We can't allow the manatee's recovery progress to disappear.

Manatees have been around for between 30 and 60 million years. It is imperative that we fight for the survival of this gentle and intelligent species.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

If you are in Florida, there are many things you can do, from reporting sick and injured animals to simply respecting boat speed limits in manatee zones. However if you, like me, live far from Florida, you can still help. Save the Manatee Club's Adopt-A-Manatee program is a classic.

I work to raise awareness of these wonderful animals and their plight, donating 10% of my denisebrain.com vintage fashion sales earnings to Save the Manatee Club.

Would you please help me raise a little more for imperiled manatees?

This fundraising page directly supports Save the Manatee Club and its emergency efforts to save and protect manatees and their environment. SMC is THE human voice for manatees.

My goal is to reach $500 for SMC this November. I know it is hard to put together any extra money these days, but take it from me, if you have $5 to give, that little bit can help add up for this magnificent species.

Long live the manatee!