For Immediate Release: May 24, 2005

If you think your dad has everything, here’s one thing he probably doesn’t: a manatee! Now is your chance to give dad a Father’s Day gift that’s as big as his heart. For $25, Save the Manatee Club (SMC) will send your dad an adoption certificate, a photo, and a life history of an endangered manatee. Or for $35, each new member who joins the Adopt-A-Manatee program will receive a free T-shirt featuring a brand new handsome manatee design, while supplies last.

Okay, now here comes the fun part -- choosing just the right manatee from the adoption program that matches your dad’s personality. Though manatees are pretty “laid back,” they all have individual personalities and physical features. Some are big, others are more average. Some are boisterous, others are more serene. To find the ideal manatee buddy for your dad, take a look at the male manatees who regularly visit the warmer waters of Blue Spring State Park and Tampa Bay in Florida during the winter months.

Brutus is the big guy of the Blue Spring bunch, weighing in at nearly 1,800 pounds. But Brutus is not big on mornings and much prefers to sleep in late, as does another manatee in the group: Lenny. (Do they remind you of anyone?) Deep Dent, who got his name because of the “dent-like” propeller wound on his tail and a similar wound on his head, is a quiet guy -- a bit shy and somewhat of a loner. In contrast, Howie is a party animal who is extremely social and loves to have his picture taken. Crazy Nick was so nicknamed because he travels to the beat of a different drummer. Manatee researchers gave him his name because he’s an unpredictable fellow – known to travel north in the winter when all the other manatees are heading south. Then there’s Doc, a real gentleman with the lady manatees, and Phillip, who’s curious and likes to follow the manatee research canoe everywhere. Paddy Doyle is an active fellow and as feisty as they get. Merlin was named for the magician in the tale of Camelot, as he seems to have led a “charmed” life, surviving extensive damage from repeated boat hits. Floyd likes to do his own thing, and Flash can also be quite elusive. Troy, with his friendly “beach boy” personality, enjoys traveling and female manatee company. Robin has a habit of “pacing” the spring run area, traveling back and forth. Last, but not least, is Whiskers with his wonderful enthusiasm and playful curiosity.

Two male manatees who are frequently seen in the Tampa Bay area of Florida are also up for adoption: Jemp and Vector. During the winter, they are regular visitors to the warm water discharge area at Tampa Electric Company's power plant. Jemp is quite the traveler, and he has been spotted in waterways extending from Tampa Bay all the day down to Everglades City. Vector likes to travel too, but he’s more of a homebody.

Choosing a manatee to adopt for dad this Father’s Day is a fun gift and a thoughtful one, too. Manatees are quite rare in Florida waters – only about 3,000 of them are left. These harmless, aquatic vegetarians face numerous human-related threats from collisions with boats, ingestion of fish hooks and entanglement in crab trap and monofilament fishing line. In addition, increasing human population growth has resulted in destruction of their habitat. That’s why, in 1981, singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and former Florida governor Bob Graham formed Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting manatees for future generations. Funds from Save the Manatee Club adoptions and donations go toward numerous conservation and education programs to protect endangered manatees and their habitat.

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