West Indian Manatee
West Indian ManateeWest Indian ManateeWest Indian ManateeWest Indian Manatee

West Indian Manatee

Trichechus manatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · Rare
overall probability at La Amistad International Park (Panama)
13 Verified records at La Amistad International Park (Panama)
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a West Indian Manatee sighting in La Amistad International Park (Panama), based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
10–20
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
5–10
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
5–10
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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
40–50%
2 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
3 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
4 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
5 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
6 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
Insufficient data
7 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
8 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
9 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a West Indian Manatee in La Amistad International Park (Panama)?

About 5% of wildlife watchers report a West Indian Manatee sighting in La Amistad International Park (Panama), based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see West Indian Manatee in La Amistad International Park (Panama)?

February has the highest sighting rate for West Indian Manatee in La Amistad International Park (Panama) in our monthly data.

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