Manatees, a Role Model for Society?? By Bill Milligan

Bill & Yndie with Maricruz and Alejandro at Dolphin Discovery

Just what is it about hopping into the water with a 700 pound manatee, lumbering along, noshing on vegetation, that brings one to realize that our society has a lot to learn from these gentle creatures. These mammals belong to the Sirenia order, believed to have evolved from four-legged land mammals more than 60 million years ago. Their closest living relatives are elephants and hyraxes (jack rabbit like mammals). Their scientific name is Trichechus manatus, meaning three (Tri) and chechus (nails), also known as “tits” amongst the indigenous of the Caribbean.

The Happy Mammals...

MANATEES AT DOLPHIN DISCOVERY
PR Manager Maricruz Alfaro de la Barrera knew so many things about these mammals...: “These docile creatures seek out warm and safe environments, gravitating to shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, Amazon basin and West Africa. Dolphin Discovery at Puerto Aventuras had the pleasure of birthing the first manatee in captivity in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. In 2008, as part of the XXXVI Annual Convention of the International Marine Animal Trainers (IMATA), Dolphin Discovery broke old myths about manatee behavior, demonstrating that learning was accomplished much faster than previously known”, she said as we were heading to Isla de Mujeres, about a 30 minute boat ride from Cancun.
Dolphin Discovery began their training program with manatees in 2001 when they received two stranded manatees (Trichechus manatus) at its facility in Puerto Aventuras.
While information on general care of manatees was available, there was little information on their training. Their slow nature and non-aggressiveness led the coaching staff to believe that animals learn much slower than the dolphins, and training would take longer. This preconception guided them to go slow and very methodical in their first attempts at training. "Over time we learned that manatees are smarter than they appear and we adjusted our training techniques with measurable results," said Alejandro Mata, training supervisor at Dolphin Discovery. The arrival of new manatees in 2007 gave the coaching staff an opportunity to apply what they learned and compare the rate of learning among with the original manatees’. Silvia Becerra, trainer of Dolphin Discovery said: "What we learned was that our first manatees were not slow learners, but it was the teachers. Note that Dolphin Discovery is the only place in the world with interactive Swimming with manatees, created not only to entertain guests, but to create awareness for the respect and protection of these beautiful marine mammals.

The manatees main predators are sharks, alligators, crocodiles and orcas, with man being number one, inflicting more morbidity and mortality than all the others combined. The props from outboard motors, both small and large are the main culprits, lacerating their backs, eviscerating them and leading to death. Some manatees’ are now recognized by the distribution and number of scars on their backs. Manatees hear on higher frequencies, and most large boats emit lower frequencies, somehow resulting in a deadly attraction between the two, with mortal consequences inescapable. Interestingly, when faced with higher frequencies, manatees’ immediately head in the other direction, sensing danger. Another man made problem is fishing nets, posing a big drowning hazard and lastly the swallowing of non-organic matter, ie, plastic bottles. Manatee hunting predates Christopher Columbus. Native Americans used the hides for making canoes, shoes and shields and their bones for “special potions”.

Manatees need fresh water sources...

MANATEES AT XEL-HA
Xel-Ha, an all inclusive eco-archeological theme park, located approximately 70 miles south of Cancun was one of our stops on the manatee tour. This ocean inlet and lagoon was an absolute joy to visit and spend the whole day, either in the crystal clear waters, snorkeling, tubing, small cliff diving, or walking along beautifully manicured paths, cut through the jungle, with parrots squawking above and iguanas basking below in the sun. A large open air palapa roofed restaurant served excellent Mexican and Mayan cuisine, along with an assortment of International dishes, all downed with cold Mexican beers, margaritas or other exotic drinks. Makes my mouth water, as I sit here writing this.

The manatee's trainers we met at Xel-Ha were very kind, devoted, and bonded with these gentle mammals and obviously protective and loving toward them. It was a real pleasure to have met these gentle trainers and see their interaction with the manatees’. We will return to Xel-Ha, and enjoy it even more the second time, hopefully in the near future.
So, what do manatees’ have to teach us…Why are they pre-historic survivors? How do they fit in the ecological chain?
“Manatees are the only marine mammals that are herbivores and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and reach more than 3.60 meters, approximately 10 feet in length. They are monogamous and typically breed once every two years, with gestation lasting 12-13 months, and the weaning process taking another 12-18 months. Nursing is accomplished with mammary glands located under their armpits, after which, they leave home and lead a solitary existence. In captivity they consume lettuce heads, up to 200 per day, or approximately 10% of their weight, according to the trainers.

A gentle stroke on the back of this kind mammal...

As we were standing in the salt water holding area, the trainers continued explaining: “Manatees spend half a day sleeping in water, with much of the rest, grazing at shallow depths (3-6 feet), surfacing at regular intervals for air. The adults have only a set of cheek teeth, which continually replace themselves, growing from the back towards the front, and totaling no more than six at one time. Their upper lip is large and flexible, somewhat resembling a very foreshortened trunk of an elephant and used for gathering food and eating, along with social interaction and communication. Having no incisor or canine teeth and thus being unable to aggressively flash them, was perhaps nature’s way of keeping them close to shore, seeking non-threatening shallow waters and avoiding incisor (ripping or tearing) like environments. There’s probably a similar corollary with humans, especially with aging and increasing dental problems”.
One fascinating thing I observed at Xel-Ha, was the trainers technique of putting them in a receptive mood to interact with people. With his hands not touching the skin, he would trace backwards on the head and neck, tracing a meridian known in Chinese medicine, as Triple Burner/Warmer, involved with the fight-flight-freeze reaction. Meridians are documented energy lines that traverse humans and animals and have been used in acupuncture for five thousand years. When one traces a meridian backwards, this has the effect of calming it and its recipient, and in this instance making one more docile, at least temporarily. This maneuver was repeatedly seen as the trainer would initiate either a training session or prepare them for human interaction. This was my first exposure seeing this technique used in the animal world.

The manatee trainers Sergio and Hilda with one of their friends at Xel-Ha

MORE FINDINGS ABOUT MANATEES
Often they will congregate near power plants, enjoying the warmer water and forgetting about the natural migration that occurs with seasonal changes. This has now become a problem when the plants close, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking ways to warm the waters. The manatees, (Trichechus Manatus) of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Ocean, cannot survive in water less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, due to their low metabolic rate. They can move easily within salinity extremes but require fresh water for proper osmoregulation.
The manatees main predators are sharks, alligators, crocodiles, orcas and man, with his outboard motors, inflicting lacerations to its back, sometimes eviscerating them and leading to death. Some manatees’ are now recognized by the distribution and number of scars on their backs. Manatees hear on higher frequencies, and most large boats emit lower frequencies, somehow resulting in the two coming more in contact with each other, to the detriment of the manatee. When faced with higher frequencies, manatees’ immediately head in the other direction, sensing danger. As manatees’ need to surface every 20 minutes, fishing nets pose a big drowning hazard and lastly the swallowing of non-organic matter, ie, plastic bottles. Manatee hunting predates Christopher Columbus. Native Americans used the hides for making canoes, shoes and shields and their bones for “special potions”.
Perhaps manatees could be role models for us, demonstrating that passivity, gentleness and affection are qualities that are consistent with survival. There continued loss is sad, as it upsets the precarious balance of aggression and non-aggression, with the former already far in the lead. The Chinese have understood this balance for more than five thousand years, through the Yin/Yang principle, with a balance between the two consistent with good health and longevity. Obviously, not only in our society but almost all, this balance was lost a long time ago, and does not look destined for a quick return. Hopefully we can maintain the manatee population and their positive attributes. We look forward to the next encounter with our gentle friends when we visit Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Bill & Yndie are very thankfull to Fideicomiso Riviera Maya and OVC Cancun for arranging their visit to Xel-ha and Dolphin Discovery