The Capture Process of Sirenia's Manatees Slow-moving, gentle, peaceful and friendly. These are all words that are frequently used to describe the Florida Manatee. So they must be easy to capture, right? Wrong! While a manatee may be a gentle and docile creature generally, there is just no getting away from the fact that it's a very big job to catch a manatee. After all, no wild animal wants to be captured. And when you remember that a manatee averages about 10 feet in length and weighs between 800 to 1,200 pounds, and is a very powerful swimmer, you've got one big job ahead of you trying to capture a manatee. So just how do scientists go about trying to capture a manatee? There are two ways, capturing from the shore, or capturing from a boat (called an "open sea" capture). We've got actual videos and photos and scientist descriptions of both kinds of capture. You'll see that either way, a manatee capture always take lots of good strong backs, arms and legs. Now Playing: Manatees "Captured" on film! (Visit each page below and look, listen, and be careful so you don't get splashed) Link to: Capture from a Boat Link to: Capture from Shore   Copyright 2003-2004 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form