Manatee  Nov. 14, 2025

Today, we show some love to the ocean"s chillest stars. Forget dolphins doing flips or sharks stealing headlines—manatees win hearts by doing, well, almost nothing. And that"s the charm. They are found in the warm coastal waters of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin and West Africa. They can weigh about 550 kilograms, yet their diet is strictly vegetarian. These whiskered mammals are slow swimmers in a fast-paced world. They cruise at around 8 kilometres per hour—great for relaxing, not so great when speedboats come charging through. That"s why "no-wake zones," or sections of waterways with a strict speed limit, are there to keep manatees safe.

© Gregory Sweeney/Getty Images

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