SILVER SPRINGS, FL (352today.com) – The next time you have to send something in the mail, the stamp that graces the upper right corner could bear the image of Florida’s favorite marine mammal, the manatee.
The U.S. Postal Service selected Tuesday, March 26, Manatee Appreciation Day, as the perfect occasion to dedicate its new Save Manatees stamp. The stamp unveiling took place at Silver Springs State Park in Ocala where the adorable marine mammals frequent the warm water, especially in the winter.
As if it knew it was the guest of honor, visitors say they spotted a manatee in the water shortly before the ceremony.
“Postage stamps are miniature works of art designed to reflect the American experience,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, Stamp Services director for the Postal Service. “It is our hope that these stamps bring further awareness to the plight of this beautiful animal.”
The gray wrinkled, whiskered face of the West Indian manatee and the way the large, aquatic mammal glides through the water endear these gentle creatures to legions of fans.
“I am honored to be here celebrating this magnificent new manatee stamp,” said Patrick Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, which has worked for more than 40 years to support and advocate for the mammals. “This adorable stamp will increase awareness and hopefully encourage people to learn how they can help save manatees, too.”
Manatees inhabit Florida’s shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas — particularly where seagrass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish.
The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) says the manatee faces a number of threats.
“Due to their slow speed and relatively high buoyancy, manatees are often struck by vessels, which is the primary cause of human-related deaths of the species,” said the MMC on its website. “Additionally, manatees continue to be threatened by loss of warm-water habitat and periodic die-offs from red tides and unusually cold weather events.”
Florida manatees were first protected under state law in 1893 and are covered by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. Manatees were reclassified from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in May 2017.
The manatee-design Forever stamp is available for purchase now at all post offices or online here. One costs 68¢ and a book of 20 is $13.60.
The Save the Manatee Club has video cameras above and under the water in Silver Springs State Park where if you’re lucky you can catch a glimpse of the creatures.