November is Manatee Awareness Month, an annual month-long dedication to manatees and their conservation in Florida and beyond. Former Florida Governor Bob Graham first declared November as Manatee Awareness Month in 1979, when the state began designating manatee protection zones in areas where manatees gather during the winter. November is typically when manatees return to Florida’s warmer waters from their summer migratory routes.
This year, Save the Manatee Club invites the public to celebrate and safeguard imperiled manatees all month long. Public awareness is a key component of our mission to protect manatees. Boaters, students, and anyone who cares about manatees and healthy aquatic habitat all play a pivotal role in their protection when they learn and spread the word to others.
Be sure to check our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for additional activities. During Manatee Awareness Month, we will be giving away a free 2021 manatee wall calendar each week on Facebook and Instagram.
Featured Video
Topic and Event Schedule
We’ll be adding new videos, webpages, and activities, so please check back!
Week of November 2nd: Fun Facts About Manatees
Learn:
Video:
Activities:
- Manatee Quiz
- Be Well Manatee Coloring Sheet by Connie Roy (pdf). Download, print, and enjoy!
Week of November 9th: Manatee Migration and Habitat
Learn:
Videos:
- Where Do Manatees Go When the Weather Gets Cold?
- How Far Can a Manatee Swim in a Day?
- Florida Springs
Activities:
Week of November 16th: Threats to Manatees
Learn:
- Manatee Mortality
- How to Report an Injured Manatee
- Why is it Wrong to Give Food and Water to Manatees?
- How Trash Impacts Manatees
- Manatees and Climate Change
Videos:
- In Danger on the Water
- Manatees and Entanglement
- Manatees and Alligators: Florida’s Odd Couple
- Manatees and Hurricanes
Activities:
- Manatee Matching Game
Most living manatees bear scars from boat collisions, and this is how researchers identify them. Click the link above to get our Manatee Matching Game and see if you can identify some real manatees. You will also need this Researcher’s Scar Sheet. - Listen to Manatee Sounds
Week of November 23rd: How You Can Help Protect Manatees
Learn:
Videos:
- Caring is Sharing: Safe Ways to Share our Waterways
- How to Report Speed Zone Violations
- Manatee Manners: How to Safely Swim near Manatees
- Please Don’t Feed or Water Manatees
- Responsible Paddling near Manatees