In Colombia’s Guajira region live the Wayuu Indian people. According to their legends, manatees were originally humans. In their stories, there was a time when a woman of the Wayuu tribe came into conflict with a water spirit and was transformed into a manatee. They believe that manatees are reincarnations of their ancestors. The Seminole Indians of Florida consider manatees to be spirits associated with water and with the ability to predict the future. They were believed to be ancestral spirits that helped the Indians catch fish.
