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What has the whiskers of a walrus, the eyes of a mole, the wrinkles of an elephant, the tail of a beaver, and the gentle nature of a sloth? A slow-moving, water-loving, plant-eating, gentle giant called a manatee. The manatee has been swimming the oceans for ages. But today this ancient animal faces an uncertain future. Stephen Swinburne takes young readers into the underwater world of manatees as he assists marine biologists who monitor the health of manatees in Homosassa Springs, Florida, and snorkels in the Crystal River with a dozen fourth-graders to observe manatees in the wild.