The West Indian Manatee

I have chosen to write about the West Indian Manatee for my essay on ways to improve their environment. There are many ways to help these sweet animals, but I will only discuss a few. Humans can prevent injuries of manatees by slowing down to the recommended speed in manatee zones. We should dispose of our garbage and used fishing line properly. The final subject that I will discuss with you is to protect these amazing creatures by not dumping harmful chemicals into the waters of where they live, or anywhere at all. Come with me to check out ways to help these manatees of your environment.

The very first and important subject that I will be discussing with you is to STOP and think about how fast you are driving in manatee zones with your fancy new motorboat. It is very important to go slower than your preferred speed. You can go faster later, but be responsible and abide by the "Manatee Zone" law "NO WAKE". Watch out for manatees that you can see near the surface, you could hit them. Just last year, a pregnant manatee was found washed up on shore dead because of a boat propeller. Now, do you understand that slowing down and being aware of how fast you are going can help manatees, not just here in Florida, but anywhere?

Secondly, we should always be careful about where we are leaving our trash. You should always throw it away in a trash can, but if there isn’t one around, wait until there is. If you throw your garbage into the water where the manatees live, you could be causing them some serious health problems. Also, be careful with your used fishing line. It could get into the water and tangled on a manatee’s flipper. So, I praise the ones who don’t litter and are responsible citizens for the West Indian Manatees.

Lastly, chemicals and toxins should definitely not be dumped in waters where manatees live or any waters at all. This can have a horrible effect on not just manatees, but other animals. They can also infect the plants that the manatees eat and cause the manatees very serious health problems. I don’t know if you’ve heard of this incident about the red tide, but over 400 manatees died because of it. It was a toxin that the manatees would breathe when they came up for air and something that the food they ate was contaminated with. How tragic!

Now that I have discussed these very important suggestions on how to improve and keep a manatee’s ecosystem clean and safe, I hope you will take them into consideration. Trust me, they will help. The West Indian Manatee is an endangered species of Florida and if you do your part in helping them, you can really make a difference. And remember, if you ever see an injured manatee, contact the police immediately! Drive Safe!

Jackie
School: Heritage Middle School