Manatees and dugongs are members of the mammalian order Sirenia. Completely aquatic, sirenians inhabit the tropical Coastal and certain adjacent waters of the West Indies, northern South America, Southern North America (Florida), western Africa, and Southern Asia to northern Australia. Sirenians live in Coastal waters, large rivers, estuaries, lagoons, and connected lakes. Today there exist four species of Sirenia: One dugong and three manatees.
Although similar in appearance to seals and walruses, sirenians are more closely related to elephants. The skin of the sirenian is finely wrinkled and greyish-brown in color. The tail is wide and flat—shaped like a paddle with the exception of the dugong, which has a dolphin-like tail. Sirenians have inspired many a legend about mermaids. The chunky body and homely facial features of a sirenian do not bring to mind the image of a beautiful woman, but the mammal’s graceful movements combined with a sailor’s faulty Vision might give rise to some unusual stories.