TJ Mascots

Monty the Manatee glides above Trader Joe's Naples on the Tamiami Trail in southwest Florida — caught here resting on the produce shelf among autumn maple leaves with his Trader Joe's name tag. The species is a perfect Naples local: real Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) — Florida's official state marine mammal — graze in the warm Gulf coastal waters and inland rivers all around Collier County, especially during winter when they congregate in warmer spring-fed waterways. Naples-area manatee hotspots include the Faka Union River and Manatee Park up in Fort Myers, and they're a beloved symbol of southwest Florida wildlife — currently listed as threatened, so locals know to slow their boats in manatee zones.