Mom and her new calf. (Photo courtesty of J.C. Mikula)

By Suzanne Tarr, Staff Biologist

Residents of Islamorada, Florida were given a rare treat this April when they witnessed a mother with her hours-old calf. Alex Bryan was minding his own business at the end of a quiet canal in Islamorada when he noticed a large manatee swimming towards him. He watched it for a bit and eventually left to visit with some friends. A couple of days later, he saw the same manatee, but she was no longer alone. Next to the manatee was a tiny calf!

Manatee calves are dark gray/black and weigh around 50 pounds when they are born. Mothers may nurse their calves for up to two years, while teaching them the "rules of the road." This calf must have just been born only hours before, since Alex could see the placenta still attached to the mother. The calf bobbed for air, its tail curled from being inside the womb. Later, mom proudly displayed her calf as it cruised over her back. She nursed her new baby, seemingly unaware by excited onlookers. By Thursday morning, this duo was gone. Locals here hope they'll return on a regular basis...at least for brief visits.

Look at me! Newborn manatee calves are capable of swimming to the surface on their own and vocalize at or soon after birth. (Photo courtesty of J.C. Mikula)

I spoke with J.C. Mikula and the rest of the crew at a local outfitters company who were keeping a vigilant eye on the new mom and her calf. My main concern was that some people may feed and/or give the manatees water. J.C. noticed well-wishers getting ready to take out hose and gently reminded them that this was not a good idea. Alex also noticed some folks feeding the mom one night.

Feeding manatees or giving them water is never a good idea, as it teaches them bad habitats and may place them in harm's way, which is why it's against the law. We were particularly concerned that these two manatees would be disturbed during those first important bonding moments. If this mom and calf (or other manatees) return, we hope that Islamorada residents will remember to passively enjoy these special moments and let these wild manatees remain beautifully, truly, and safely wild.

We thank Alex, J.C., and his crew for being great stewards of Florida's endangered manatee and for sharing this amazing story.

Get more information on places where you can view manatees and tips to help protect them.

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Cruising the canal. If you look closely, you can see the placenta still attached to the mother. (Photo courtesty of J.C. Mikula)