If you don’t have any plans on March 25, you might want to hug a manatee, for Manatee Appreciation Day!

Manatees are large marine mammals, distantly related to elephants, with weird shaped heads. People also called them sea cows and some believe that they were the inspiration for mermaids. When ships full of male sailors had been out at sea for long periods of time, they would sight these creatures in the ocean, see a vaguely humanoid shape, and imagine that they were some type of person who had adapted to the oceans.

There are three species of manatees, all mammals that never leave the water but do have to swim to the surface every few minutes for air. They can be submerged for about 15 minutes. Some swim independently while others travel in pairs, swimming between five and 15 miles per hour.

Manatees are mostly found in the coastal and inland waterways of the south eastern United States, areas where the water is 60 degrees or warmer. They are considered gentle and slow-moving. They spend much of their time eating and sleeping. Eating involves mostly vegetation and small fish and other invertebrates.

The lifespan of a typical manatee is 40 to 60 years and they can weigh between 440 to 1,300 lbs. A female, or sea cow, can be pregnant for up to twelve months.

They would be unusual pets, but Timothy Johnson can see why they would be valuable in that role: “Would you mess with someone, knowing that they have a manatee as a pet?” he asked. “It’s a perfect pet!”

Some interesting manatee facts? They can lose teeth and they will just grow right back. They aren’t as smart as dolphins, but manatees can learn simple tasks and tell colors apart!