Marine Life & Conservation
Celebrate Manatee Awareness Month with Save the Manatee Club
This November, celebrate Manatee Awareness Month with Save the Manatee Club (SMC) by learning more about manatees and how to help protect them and their habitat. SMC will be sharing manatee activities, games, quizzes, and ways the public can help manatees throughout the month on social media and at savethemanatee.org/MAM beginning in November. Each week will have a different theme, from fun facts to taking action.
The month-long recognition of imperiled manatees was first declared in 1979 by Former Florida Governor Bob Graham, who co-founded Save the Manatee Club along with singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Florida began designating manatee protection zones in the late 1970s in order to conserve the warm-water areas that manatees need to survive the winter as well as encourage slower boating speeds in areas where manatees frequent. In November, manatees usually begin returning to Florida’s warm waters. They need the constant warmth from natural springs or power plant effluents once the water temperature begins dipping below 68° F (20° C). Manatees remain near these sites until about March. Despite their size, manatees have relatively little body fat and cannot survive with prolonged exposure to cold water temperatures.
Floridians and those who visit Florida during the winter can learn how to recognize sick, injured, or orphaned manatees so they can report them to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). “Boaters, especially, can be a tremendous help in reporting manatees in distress,” says Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club’s Aquatic Biologist and Executive Director. “Being aware of manatees’ presence on the water, and learning how to call when something is wrong, can help save a manatee’s life.”
Most adult manatees bear scars on their bodies from collisions with watercraft. When healed, the scars appear gray or white. But when fresh, they can look pink or red with deep cuts. That’s when a manatee should be reported. Manatees that are seen tilting to one side, unable to fully submerge underwater, or having trouble breathing should also be reported.
As a result of the severe losses of seagrass on the east coast of Florida, it is more important than ever to watch for manatees that appear malnourished, with visible ribs and a sunken area behind their head. A manatee calf by itself with no adults around may be an orphan and should be reported. Anyone who spends time near the water should view the resources at savethemanatee.org/rescue at least every November. Boaters can also request free materials such as boat decals displaying the FWC’s 24/7 wildlife alert hotline, 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).
Save the Manatee Club also offers educational resources to increase manatee awareness for manatee-lovers of any age, including important facts and FAQs, manatee videos and live webcams. Additionally, SMC can provide live virtual presentations about manatees for classrooms or other groups upon request. “Education is one of the primary objectives in achieving our mission of manatee protection,” says Rose. “Whether for boaters in Florida or students all around the country, learning about and appreciating manatees plays an important role in helping to protect them and their essential habitat.”
For more information visit the Save the Manatee Club website by clicking here.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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