Indeed, a Manatee has been spotted by our divers at Jardines Reef, in front of Playa del Carmen! Although, Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, their natural encounters are rare in our area, hence, leave an awe-inspiring impression with our divers and instructors at Pro Dive Mexico! Perfect timing for our professional videographer Tomas Durban/ A La Aventuras, who was right there accompanying our Discover Scuba Divers and able to capture this great footage of this amazing creature for you. ! Manatees are generally solitary animals, apart from mothers with their young, or males following a receptive female.
Reminding of mermaids, these mammals can grow between 8 – 13 ft (2.4 – 4 m) and weigh 440 to 1,200 pds (200 to 600 kg), which is quite a lot for a Herbivore, that “only” eats water grasses, weeds and algae – lots of them! Manatees never leave the water but, like all marine mammals, they must breathe air at the surface.
Manatees were traditionally hunted by Native Americans for their meat, but also to make warshields, canoes, shoes and collect their bones to treat asthma and earache, however, are classified as endangered, meanwhile.
Jardines (Gardens), as the name indicates, is characterized by a colorful garden-like vegetation and small overhangs inhabited by a abundance of marine life like moray eels, turtles, snappers and schools of fish, a variety of sponges, hard corals, fans and seawhips.
With low to no currents, Jardines provides divers of all levels with a very rewarding and picturesque dive in a depth of 20-45ft/ 6-13m only, and is always good for a nice surprise, even Bull Sharks can be spotted there during winter season Dec-Mar, if you are lucky.
Learn more about Playa del Carmen at http://www.prodivemexico.com