Move over, Florida – Mississippi’s coast is becoming a vacation spot for some very gentle visitors. West Indian manatees, sometimes nicknamed “sea cows,” are not just cruising past the northern Gulf of Mexico; new research from Mississippi State University shows these slow-moving mammals are sticking around long enough to mate and maybe even set down roots.
Holley Muraco, an assistant research professor at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center, recently analyzed rare drone footage capturing a “mating herd” of three manatees off Moss Point last fall. The high-resolution video allowed Muraco to observe these shy sea creatures in action for the first time in Mississippi waters.
“Despite their chunky appearance, manatees’ fat provides limited thermoregulation abilities,” Muraco said. “They’re traveling farther from Florida and staying longer along the Gulf Coast than we’ve seen before.”
Manatees usually overwinter in Florida, where warm springs and power plant discharge water provide cozy refuges. But these gentle giants are picky: water temperatures above 68 degrees and plenty of seagrass are must-haves, no matter where they are. And Mississippi’s coastal waters appear to check those boxes.
The growing number of manatees in the northern Gulf has been documented by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting Network, which has tracked more than 8,000 sightings since 2007. Scientists say that a recovering population and long-term environmental changes are likely driving more sea cows to explore outside Florida.
Muraco plans to continue studying the Mississippi coast, identifying warm-water refuges and potential habitats near power plants. Observing these “gentle giants” is not just fascinating – it’s important for conservation and boater safety, since collisions are the leading cause of manatee deaths.
“We now know these manatees aren’t just passing through,” Muraco said. “They’re healthy enough to reproduce here, which shows that Mississippi’s coast is supporting their survival.”
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