- Playing
- Manatee Habitats
- From
- Pat Maxwell
Ever seen a manatee? Well, they look kind of like a tusk-less walrus -- BIG, slow, and pretty darn chunky. Makes you wonder why Christopher Columbus -- the first European known to have seen one -- mistook it for a mermaid! Manatees are marine mammals that can grow to be ten feet long and weigh 3500 pounds! These “gentle giants” communicate by emitting sounds underwater. When a mother was separated from her calf by a floodgate, they called to each other continuously for two hours before being reunited...
Also in the June 2010 - Isla Earth Radio Series series
Speedy Songbirds
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
If you think songbird songs are wonderfully complex, you’re going to find this story simply amazing.
Bacteria Super Power
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Batman step aside! You're no match for these polluting villains. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, make the Riddler look like a saint.
Beetle Juice
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
The African Stenocara beetle has learned a thing or two about water conservation. Living in the Namib desert, it uses its wings to capture water vapor molecules and funnel ...
Powered By The Sun
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Now here’s a ride Little Miss Sunshine and her eccentric family would have appreciated… Think sixties hippie culture meets Star Trek, and you end up with a family van that’s ...
Doggie Doo Part 1
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
So what should you do with your doggie's doo? Your dog Fido probably wishes you’d just leave it in the yard -- let the world know that somebody important owns this piece of ...
Sensing Whales
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
What do you get when you cross a whale with a ship? A disaster at sea.
Gecko Connection
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Island life evolves in isolation, and complex relationships develop that can make island ecosystems especially dependent on niche species.
Curious Creature: Elephant Shrew
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
It’s time for the creature of the week when we introduce you to the strange, the wonderful, the astonishing variety of life here on Isla Earth.
Disappearing Aspens
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
The American West conjures up images of cowboys, cattle ranches and unspoiled mountains under bright blue skies. But one icon of the west -- the aspen tree -- is dying off, ...
The Better Bee
(00:01:30)
From: Pat Maxwell
Domestic tranquility has its place, but we all need a little walk on the wild side from time to time. And, apparently, the same goes for bees.
Piece Description
Ever seen a manatee? Well, they look kind of like a tusk-less walrus -- BIG, slow, and pretty darn chunky. Makes you wonder why Christopher Columbus -- the first European known to have seen one -- mistook it for a mermaid! Manatees are marine mammals that can grow to be ten feet long and weigh 3500 pounds! These “gentle giants” communicate by emitting sounds underwater. When a mother was separated from her calf by a floodgate, they called to each other continuously for two hours before being reunited...
Additional Credits
Isla Earth is produced by the Catalina Island Conservancy with support from its Fund for a Sustainable Planet.




