Chessie the manatee was just sighted again in Calvert County. Chessie -- who was named for the bay -- was last sighted here in 1994, and was identified by his markings, which were probably caused by a propeller. Here’s the link to a news story in the Baltimore Sun:
Chessie the manatee is back in the bay - Baltimore Sun
Manatees are really cool animals which are endangered primarily because of our actions, such as invading their habitat and not being careful about boat speed in known manatee areas. During our winter trip to Florida in 2010, we kayaked among the manatees and learned a great deal about the habits of these animals, such as in Florida, they tend to stay in areas of less than 9 feet in depth, and are often close to the surface, which is why they are subject to collisions from boat hulls and propellers. In known manatee areas, boats are encouraged to go no more than 5 mph, to permit manatees to get out of the way when the boats are around. However, there are lots of people who don’t get that, and choose to speed everywhere. And other clods choose to chase the manatees around, often separating calves from their parents, or trying to ride on their fins. Don’t get me started on these yahoos.
Chessie is a manatee we know of because when my daughter was deciding which manatee she would adopt through the Save the Manatee Club (Save the Manatee Club), we considered Chessie because we live by the bay. However, we think Ilya (the manatee we adopted and the name of our boat) might be an even more famous manatee.
So, Make Way for Manatees!
Chessie the manatee is back in the bay - Baltimore Sun
Manatees are really cool animals which are endangered primarily because of our actions, such as invading their habitat and not being careful about boat speed in known manatee areas. During our winter trip to Florida in 2010, we kayaked among the manatees and learned a great deal about the habits of these animals, such as in Florida, they tend to stay in areas of less than 9 feet in depth, and are often close to the surface, which is why they are subject to collisions from boat hulls and propellers. In known manatee areas, boats are encouraged to go no more than 5 mph, to permit manatees to get out of the way when the boats are around. However, there are lots of people who don’t get that, and choose to speed everywhere. And other clods choose to chase the manatees around, often separating calves from their parents, or trying to ride on their fins. Don’t get me started on these yahoos.
Chessie is a manatee we know of because when my daughter was deciding which manatee she would adopt through the Save the Manatee Club (Save the Manatee Club), we considered Chessie because we live by the bay. However, we think Ilya (the manatee we adopted and the name of our boat) might be an even more famous manatee.
So, Make Way for Manatees!
