How to Draw a West Indian Manatee

In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a West Indian Manatee in 6 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.

The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.

Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.

At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the West Indian Manatee.

Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.

How to Draw a West Indian Manatee - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Let's start our West Indian manatee. First, draw the head and the nose, and make an indent for the mouth.

Step 2: Now let's add detail to the face. Draw a circle for the eye and a small line for the nostril.

Step 3: Then, draw a gently curved line for the top part of the body.

Step 4: Alright, draw the manatee's fins. A west Indian manatee is also known as a "sea-cow" because it is shaped like a cow and fully aquatic!

Step 5: Finish the body by continuing both lines and narrowing them at the end. Leave a gap for the tail.

Step 6: Draw a circle that connects to the manatee's body - this is the tail - and draw some lines to detail its body.

Interesting Facts about West Indian Manatees

West Indian Manatees are sea creatures that are built to live in the ocean. A West Indian Manatee has a long gray body and a powerful tail. In its front there are 2 short flippers. They eat sea grasses, small fish, and other small animals. Until mating season, a West Indian Manatee is a loner. The males come back long enough to mate, and then leave the female to the rest. West Indian Manatees are an endangered species everywhere, but in some places like South America they are still hunted for their fat and meat.

Did you know?

  • A common cause for Manatee deaths is watercrafts like boats, jet-skis, and other items that use engines to move.
  • There are 2 locations a West Indian Manatee can be found; the Caribbean islands or the coasts of Central America.
  • All Manatees are built for cold temperatures. Their skin is thick blubber that keeps the warm.
  • A grown Manatee is 9-15 feet long and they weigh well over 1,000 pounds!
  • Sometimes called a “Sea Cow.”

Lesson Plan Note: Many cultures have mythology based around the manatee. The first stories of mermaids were because of this animal. In Africa the manatee is a protector of the sea. Share these stories with your class and have them illustrate the story with crayons, pencils, colored pencils, or markers.

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