Sometimes called sea cows, manatees are large, mostly-vegetarian mammals (kind of like a sea… cow…). Three different species of manatee live in the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean, the Amazon River, and in western Africa. Check out savethemanatee.org’s Manatee Cam! (And, for extra credit, look up manatees’ cousins, the dugong! They’re like manatees with dolphin tails.)
It’s International Whale Shark Day! These amazingly adorable, giant filter-feeding sharks are vulnerable around the world. Because they cruise along slowly not far beneath the ocean’s surface, they can be hit by ships and caught by fishing gear intended for other fish. In some countries, they’re deliberately caught for their meat. Supporting sustainable fishing (like getting rid of illegal nets and not taking too many fish) protects whale sharks along with hundreds of other vulnerable and endangered species.
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