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. Learn more at beseagrasssafe.com.
- Download 2020 Manatee Mortality and Rescue Statistics, a sheet with statistics from 2019 and past years and information on how to report an injured manatee (pdf).
Watch Videos:
- Boat Safely with Manatees
- How to Report a Speed Zone Violation
- Does This Manatee Need Help?
How to report distressed manatees. - In Danger on the Water
- Manatees and Watercraft
- Manatees and Entanglement
- Responsible Paddling Nearing Manatees
Additional information available from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
- Information for Boat, PWC, & Paddle-Sport Operators including Manatee Protection Zones and Speed Zone Maps.
- Get the Online Boating and Angling Guides to Tampa Bay, the Florida Keys, Charlotte Harbor and Nassau and Duval Counties. Digital versions of printed guides for many other areas are also available.