a is for awesome, b is for badass - m

Just look at that. Is it not the cutest, most beautiful thing you ever saw?

Manatees are beautiful, gentle-faced creatures of pure joy. They are also completely awesome. Here’s why:

1. They are most closely related to elephants. You can see it now, can’t you? The family resemblance, I mean. Look at that prehensile upper lip…
2. They are thought to have evolved from four-legged mammals, and are also closely related to hyraxes, which are small, herbivorous mammals that make a few appearances in the Bible.
3. They sleep for half the day, in twenty-minute bursts, and then head up to the surface for some air. Awesome. Not only are the one of the most chilled members of the animal kingdom, but they can sleep underwater without needing to go up for air for twenty minutes.
4. The name “manati” means “breast” in the language of the Taíno.
5. They are also known as sea-cows. I suggest calling cows “land manatees”, because manatees are awesome. Sometimes I feel like I’m sort of a land manatee.
6. They were the inspiration for tales of mermaids. You might look at them and think “that doesn’t look like a mermaid” but really you should be thinking “that looks like a beautiful and awesome creature, I hope we can be friends”.
7.  There are 3 recognised species of manatee. And a fourth proposed. Woah, dude. The dwarf manatee is currently of disputed existence, which is pretty badass.

Manatees are just adorable, they swim around placidly, eating water plants and sleeping, not doing anyone any harm. They hear at higher frequencies than many marine animals, and because of this, cannot here the low sounds emitted by approaching boats. They’re also at risk from poaching, pollution and scary red algae. So it’s time we all started looking after them. There’s not an abundance of awesome in the world, and we can’t afford to see any more disappear.  

My own love for these majestic aquatic mammals may have started with a song about them on Sesame Street. Perhaps this is also where I got my thing about numbers and the alphabet. So, today’s post was brought to you by the letter M, the number 7, and the graceful manatee.