Oldest Living Manatee in Captivity Turns 65 (Video)

First Posted: Jul 19, 2013 11:00 AM EDT
Close

Say hello to the oldest living manatee in captivity. This weekend just so happens to be his birthday, when he will be turning to a ripe old age of 65.

Known as Snooty by the folks at South Florida Museum in downtown Bradenton, this guy was born in Miami in 1948 and moved to Manatee County a year later, otherwise known as Bradenton, Florida.

This area got that nickname for being home to the southern mouth of the Manatee River, and is also a haven for many rescued manatees.

According to ABC Action News, over the past few decades, the museum has put on "Snooty's Birthday Bash," a big party to celebrate the aquatic mammal, and this year will be no exception. The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 21. However, Snooty's actual birth date is July 21, the day following the party.

The Associated Press notes that Snooty is in good physical shape and enjoys 80-pounds of lettuce a day.

Manatees, also known as "sea cows," are massive, aquatic sea creatures that, despite size, are graceful swimmers with strong tails that can typically allow them to glide at 5 miles an hour. This incredible creature can also swim up to 15 miles an hour in short bursts.

They can be seen alone, in pairs or even in a small group of half a dozen or fewer animals, with just their nose or nostrils peaking out above the water. And like all marine mammals, they never leave the water but take quick gulps of air at the ocean's surface.

Want to see Snooty in action? Check out this video, courtesy of YouTube.

See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone

©2017 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics