David Schrichte manatee photo.
There are many things you can do to help protect manatees from
a watercraft collision or other human-related injuries:

  • Call to Report an Injured Manatee
  • Manatee Protection Tips for Boaters
  • Boating Safety Classes
  • Free Public Awareness Materials: Signs for shoreline property owners, waterproof banners for boaters, a “boating safety packet” including a boat decal and waterproof manatee protection tips card, posters, and brochures. Check them out and get yours today! You can also request these items by sending an email to education@savethemanatee.org or by calling our toll-free number at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).
  • Be seagrass safe. Manatees are herbivores, and seagrass is an important food source for them. Prevent damage to seagrasses by avoiding boating over seagrass beds. If you must boat over seagrass beds, trim up your motor and idle to a safe depth before getting on plane, and carefully push your boat away if you run aground.
  • Download Manatee Mortality and Rescue Statistics, a sheet with statistics from the prior year and past years and information on how to report an injured manatee (pdf).

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Additional information available from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: