Miami Mermaid Manatee

Saw one for the first time in the wild. Here are three cool things about them:

• Genetically, their closest relative is the elephant. Notice the grey wrinkled skin. Whales evolved from a wolf-like land animal, and seals came from a bear-like ancestor. All marine mammals evolved from land animals, so in the long arc of evolution, they went from sea to land and then, back to the sea.

• Their teeth advance from back to front like a conveyor belt over their whole life. New molars emerge in the rear and advance 1 cm per month toward the front, replacing the front teeth which wear down from the sand that mixes with their seagrass meals.

· Their skin is covered with pressure and current sensors called vibrissae. These sensitive whiskers cover their body for navigation in murky water. Their skin also grows algae, giving the greenish tint, and constantly flakes to prevent barnacle buildup.

You can see why these seagrass-grazing herbivores are called “sea cows”, and their super slow movement looks like a “mermaid sloth” to me. With lungs (like all sea mammals), they can hold their breath for 20 minutes, so it was a special moment to catch it coming up for a breath in this short video.