Do Manatees control their buoyancy by farting?
Manatees are incredibly intelligent marine mammals who show long-term memory and associative learning skills on par with dolphins. They are thought to have inspired the myth of the mermaid. (In 1493, Christopher Columbus saw three “mermaids” — in actuality, manatees — while sailing near the Dominican Republic.) And the sea cows talk to each other while playing and during intimacy.
Butt here’s the kicker: There is scientific evidence to suggest that they regulate their underwater buoyancy — their ability to rise and fall in the water column — by farting.
Huh. Who knew?
