For the first one to two years of its life, a manatee is considered a calf and is less than eight feet long. On average, one calf is born every two to five years. Newborn manatees are called calves. Full-grown manatees weigh between 800 to 1,200 pounds (360-545 kg) and reach 10 feet (3.0 m) in … The Florida manatee, Florida’s state marine mammal, is a large aquatic relative of the elephant. The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds. Manatees are very gentle and … Social. 7. Male manatees (bulls) are not part of the family unit. Babies can swim on their own within an hour of birth. Upon mating, the female carries her baby for approximately 12 months. Questions; How many babies do manatees have at a time? Some calves stay with their mother up to two and a half years. Twins are very rare! Many males may pursue a female. Manatees breed year round in Florida, however most of the calf's are born in the spring and summer months. On average, one calf is born every two to five years and twins are rare. Some avoid people. This information was very important as when such power plants close those manatees’s can die due to the rapid change in the water. How many Manatees are in Florida? The oldest known living manatee was “Snooty” , who was born on July 21, 1948, and lived to be 69 years old. Manatees are very gentle and … 3. At birth, manatees are usually approximately four feet long and weigh around 60 pounds. Mothers must help their calves to the surface so that they can take their first breath, but the infants can typically swim on their own only an hour later. 6000. For the third straight year, spotters counted more than 6,000 manatees navigating Florida’s waters. This is due to the fact that they make the water warmer by many degrees. If you see a dead manatee. The West Indian manatee is related to the West African manatee, the Amazonian manatee, the dugong, and Steller’s sea cow, which was hunted to extinction in 1768. 6000. Manatees have one calf or more rarely, two calves at a time. The calf may stay with its mother (cow) for up to 2 years. Questions. Manatees can hold their breath for approximately 20 minutes, however they regularly breathe every few minutes (Ridgeway 1985). Newborns stay with their mother for at least a year. Once they are mature, female manatees only have calves about once every two to five years. Manatees have one calf or more rarely, two calves at a time. Their front flippers help them steer, or sometimes crawl, through shallow water. A. How many Manatee species are there?