It all began, as so many wonderful things do, at Sea World. My third grade Girl Scout troop had pooled our cookie money, and bought a “Sea World Sleepover” excursion. Upon arriving at the park, our troop was assigned to sleep next to the shark tank—not exactly the dream of a pack of 8 year-old girls. As fate would have it, that same night a troop of Boy Scouts was at the park and willingly swapped sleepover spots with us.  And so, I ended up spending a night with the manatees. Ever since that trip, it’s been love.

1. Manatees typically coast along at 5 miles an hour, but can reach speads of 20 miles per hour in short bursts
2. A resting manatee can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes
3. There are 3 species of manatee: West Indian, Amazonian, and African
   
4. Infant manatees can usually swim on their own 1 hour after birth
5. Manatees can't turn their heads! They have 6 (not 7) cervical vertebrae, so they must turn their whole bodies to look around

6. Manatees only significant predator is Man
7. A manatee can consme about 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation daily (the average manatee weighs approx. 1000 lbs)
8. The elephant and the hyrax are the manatee's closest relatves
9. Currently, Snooty, the oldest manatee in captivily (and likely the oldest manatee in the world), is 63 years old
   
10. Manatees don't have eyelashes, but they do have toenails