Other Mammals • Wildlife

Manatee

The Underwater Teddy Bear

© Alamy/imageBROKER

Together with Dugongs, Manatees form the order of sea cows. These two species differ mainly in their caudal fin; Manatees have a single round paddle-shaped tail while Dugongs have a forked fluke more like that of a whale. With a length of up to 5 meters, a manatee can weigh up to 500 kilograms. Diving with manatees is indescribable. These wonderful animals are very peaceful, calm, and slow, moving at a speed of only 3 to 7 km/h, perfect for observing and studying these majestic marine creatures.

Manatees are unique in that they can live in both saltwater and freshwater. They prefer warm waters and are herbivores, feeding mostly on fresh and saltwater plants. These animals spend 50% of their day resting and the other half grazing. While resting, they can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes, but while swimming, must surface every three to four minutes. Since they often search for food in shallow waters, it is possible to snorkel with manatees. Find out where you can dive with these gentle giants here.

Popular dive sites

La Poza, Xcalak

La Poza, Xcalak

106 Logged dives • 21 Sightings An very nice underwater trench that makes for a beautiful wall dive. Current can sometimes convert it into drift diving. The depth ranges from 5 m/15 ft to 26m/90ft. It is full of alcoves where fish hide and tower-like structures of coral at the end of the dive.
Mexico
Caye Caulker Marine Reserve

Caye Caulker Marine Reserve

371 Logged dives • 19 Sightings This site is a marine protected area just off Caye Caulker with beautiful, healthy reef with copious amounts of live corals and juvenile fishes.
Belize
Rodman

Rodman

182 Logged dives • 2 Sightings Rodman, a dive just a few metres from the second largest coral reef in the world, at a shallow depth of 7m, with various types of coral formations, is a fantastic site but variable in both visibility and current.
Mexico
Dugong Watch

Dugong Watch

197 Logged dives • 2 Sightings It takes about two hours by car from Coron to the village of Quezon, north of Buanga Island, where it takes about an hour to get to the northwest beach of Karawite Island. Around Calauit, north of Buanga Island, a thin 10m deep coral reef is covered with coral sand, and many water plants are growing in this coral.
Philippines
Carlos Rosario Wall

Carlos Rosario Wall

209 Logged dives • 2 Sightings NO TAKE - This site is in the protected Luis Pena Marine Reserve. Fishing, spearfishing, lobstering, or taking animals of any kind is strictly prohibited. Lionfish may not be taken without a permit from DRNA. Mooring balls for day use only by a single boat (8 hours max), no overnight stays, no rafting.
United States