Stick With Manatees By Purchasing A Florida Fish And Wildlife Decal

FLORIDA — This month is National Manatee Awareness Month and, to recognize the month, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have released its 2022-23 manatee decals. Sea turtle decals are available, too.

These waterproof stickers are colorfully illustrated and look right at home on watercraft, car bumpers or anywhere you want to show your support for these native species.

New decal designs are released each July and can be purchased with a $5 donation when you register or re-register a vehicle or boat at local tax collector’s offices across the state. The funds raised by decal donations go directly toward supporting research, rescue and management efforts for manatees and sea turtles.

This year’s decal themes bring additional attention to specific conservation issues:

• “Manatees in Motion” provides a reminder that manatees travel throughout Florida’s waterways and move between freshwater rivers and springs, brackish waters and coastal salt waters. If you see evidence of a nearby manatee while boating, such as the signature round “manatee footprint” water plume, slow your vessel or shut off your engine until you can locate it and move to a safe distance.
• “A Generation of Protection” highlights the many years of obstacles turtles face on their journey from hatchlings to mature adults with nests of their own, a process that can take 20 to 30 years. Lights on a nesting beach, motorized watercraft and marine debris can all negatively impact turtle lifecycles.

This year’s manatee decal also helpfully displays the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922), where you can report an injured, entangled or sick manatee or sea turtle.

Learn more about how to help conserve manatees here and sea turtles at and here, where you can also purchase past decal versions to complete your collection.

Another way to show support for these species is by purchasing a “Save the Manatee” or a “Helping Sea Turtles Survive” license plate at Florida tax collector’s office.

For additional information about how to get involved, visit the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida’s website.