West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderSirenia (Sirenians)
- FamilyTrichechidae (Manatees)
- GenusTrichechus (Manatees)
- SpeciesTrichechus manatus (West Indian Manatee)
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the Eastern United States to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on underwater plants and uses its whiskers to navigate. It is divided into two subspecies, the Florida manatee (T. m. latirostris) in the United States and the Antillean manatee (T. m. manatus) in the Caribbean, both of which are endangered and face pressure from habitat loss, pollution, and other human activity. The West Indian manatee is the largest living member of the sirenians (order Sirenia), a group of large aquatic mammals that includes the dugong, other manatees, and the extinct Steller's sea cow. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a West Indian Manatee sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 31 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 7 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 9 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a West Indian Manatee in Big Cypress National Preserve?
About 19% of wildlife watchers report a West Indian Manatee sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 31 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see West Indian Manatee in Big Cypress National Preserve?
February has the highest sighting rate for West Indian Manatee in Big Cypress National Preserve in our monthly data.