32 Manatees Killed By Boat Strikes Already This Year; Boaters Urged To Slow Down

TAMPA BAY, FL — With the approach of Memorial Day weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reminding boaters that they're not the only ones enjoying the waters surrounding the state.

They share the waters with an abundance of marine lives including one that is especially vulnerable to careless boaters.

While they may be big and bulky, manatees aren't always easy to spot as they float just below the surface of the water with only their snouts visible above the water line.

That is why it is important to:

• Go slow and follow all manatee protection zones.
• Wear polarized glasses and look out below while boating or using personal watercraft — a visible snout or large circles on the water are indicators that manatees are below the surface.
• Always give manatees plenty of space. While you may be avoiding a visible group of manatees, there could be more below the surface that are vulnerable to boat strikes.

Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs. Maps of manatee protection zones are available here.

From April 1 through Nov. 15, seasonal manatee zones require boaters to slow down in certain areas to prevent manatees from being injured or killed by motorboats or personal watercraft. Nevertheless, Boat strikes continue to be a major threat to Florida manatees.

FWC law enforcement officers will be on patrol in state waters throughout the Memorial Day weekend to inform boaters of the seasonal manatee speed zones and take appropriate enforcement actions. Boaters are reminded to abide by the regulatory signs they see on the water.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are currently responding to what's known as an Unusual Mortality Event along Florida's coasts.

A native species that was first protected through Florida State Law in 1893, the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) once numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Today, the manatee population has dwindled to about 7,520 animals.

As a result, the species was reclassified from an endangered to a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act in May 2017.

In addition to the Endangered Species Act, manatees are protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act and are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The FWC oversees the protection of these gentle sea cows through the Manatee Management Plan and programs operated by the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation Imperiled Species Management Section and the Aquatic Habitat Conservation & Restoration Section, as well as the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the Division of Law Enforcement.

Beyond natural causes, the leading reasons for the rise in manatee deaths include:

• Exposure to red tide. Red tide produces a biotoxin. A manatee suffering from the effects of red tide may experience a lack of coordination and experience involuntary muscle twitches and seizures. These effects can impact its ability to swim and lift its head to breathe. Learn more about red tide and other
• Cold stress, which occurs when the water temperature falls below 68 degrees. Manatees with cold stress typically have bleaching on their skin, visible abscesses, unresolved sores, a heavy barnacle or algae load and are underweight.
• Stranding. Tidally stranded manatees are typically healthy manatees that have become stranded or beached due to a receding tide. In most cases, biologists will monitor the manatee until the incoming tide raises water levels and it can swim away.
• Starvation as a result of seagrass beds, the manatee's major source of food, dying off due to wastewater discharges, fertilizer and pesticide runoff into the ocean and other pollutants.
• Entrapment. Manatees can swim through culverts, drainage pipes, locks, dams or other water control structures and become trapped or lost. Unusually high water (due to hurricanes, heavy rains or tidal changes) may allow manatees access to previously inaccessible area. Once the water recedes, the manatees become trapped behind natural or man-made obstacles.
• Entanglement. Manatees can become entangled in fishing line or crab trap float line that wraps around one or both of the manatee's flippers, the body, neck or tail. If the line becomes embedded in the skin, it must be removed surgically. Severe cases can lead to flipper amputation.
• Ingested fishing lures, hooks and debris can threaten the life of a manatee.
• Boat propeller strikes.

Of these threats, the FWC said the most preventable are boat strikes.

From Jan. 1 to May 12, 32 manatees were killed by boat strikes, and the total number of manatees killed by boats in 2022 was 76, down from 104 in 2021.

The greatest number of manatee deaths by boat strike occurred in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Volusia and Broward counties, according to the FWC.

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute researchers examined 10 years of Florida manatee necropsy reports to characterize and quantify watercraft-related scarring.

The researchers found that one out of every four adult carcasses analyzed in their study bore evidence of 10 or more watercraft strikes. With only 4 percent of adult manatees without watercraft-related scars, researchers concluded that it is exceedingly rare for an adult manatee not to be struck multiple times in its life.

The study showed that manatees are subjected to more potentially lethal watercraft strikes than any other studied marine mammal, underscoring the need for continued long-term vigilance by the owners of the more than one million registered boats in the state.

Collisions with watercraft account for 20−25 percent of reported manatee deaths. The collisions can cause both sharp- and blunt-force trauma, which can lead to death. Manatees also survive many encounters with watercraft. The goal of the new study was to advance understanding of sub-lethal watercraft-related impacts on the Florida manatee.

The institute said the long-term consequences of sub-lethal injury by boats resulting in scarring are not fully understood. However, short-term consequences to the manatee include pain, elevated stress responses and behavioral changes.

Longer-term impacts could include decreased mobility due to healing of fractured bone, decreased swimming efficiency if large portions of the fluke are lost, compromised immune systems and, if reproductive systems are damaged, decreased reproduction.

It is illegal to feed, harass or harm manatees. Physically handling a distressed or stranded manatee can cause additional harm.

Here are some guidelines if you spot a manatee:

• Look, but don't touch manatees. Also, don't feed manatees or give them water. If manatees become accustomed to being around people, they can alter their behavior in the wild, perhaps causing them to lose their natural fear of boats and humans, which may make them more susceptible to harm.
• Do not pursue or chase a manatee if you see one while you are swimming, snorkeling, diving, paddling or operating a boat.
• Never poke, prod or stab a manatee with your hands, feet or any object.
• If a manatee avoids you, do not chase the animal for a closer view.
• Give manatees space to move. Avoid isolating or singling out an individual manatee from its group, and do not separate a cow and her calf.
• Keep hands and objects to yourself. Don't attempt to snag, hook, hold, grab, pinch, hit or ride a manatee.
• Avoid excessive noise and splashing if a manatee appears nearby. The manatee may be resting and may surface without being aware of your presence. Noise and activity may startle the animal awake, which may put it in harm’s way if it is frightened and leaves the area.
• If the site you visit allows in-water activities near manatees, use snorkel gear and float at the surface of the water to passively observe manatees. The sound of bubbles from SCUBA gear or other devices may cause manatees to leave the area.
• Report injured, distressed, sick or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) so trained responders can assist.

Anyone convicted of violating this state law faces a possible fine of $500 and 60 days in jail. If convicted at the federal level, a person can be fined up to $50,000 and receive a year in prison.

Floridians can help support ongoing research and conservation by purchasing a Florida manatee license plate or by donating $5 to receive a collectable FWC manatee decal. Both are available at tax collector's offices throughout the state.