The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking boaters to keep an eye out for the state’s beloved manatees as they begin their seasonal trek to warmer spring waters for the winter.
Michelle Pasawicz, FWC’s manatee management program coordinator, observed November as Manatee Awareness Month and said manatees must be in water warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive.
“As temperatures drop in the fall, manatees begin making their way to Florida springs, power plant discharge areas and other warm water locations to hibernate until temperatures rise again in the spring,” she said in a news release.
The FWC emphasized that because manatees are difficult to spot despite their size, boaters and watercraft operators should wear polarized sunglasses and travel cautiously, taking into account manatee protection zones.
“During the colder months, seasonal manatee zones require boaters and personal watercraft users to reduce or avoid speed in certain areas to avoid collisions that could injure or kill manatees,” the agency said.
Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs. Zone maps can be found at MyFWC.com/MPZ.
The FWC advises everyone to give manatees space when they congregate in warm water locations.
“Disturbing manatees can cause them to swim out of protected areas and into potentially life-threatening cold water,” the agency said. “Manatees are a protected species and it is illegal to harass, feed, disturb or harm them.”
The FWC described boat attacks as a major threat to manatees in Florida. Law enforcement officers patrol the waters to ensure boaters maintain seasonal speed zones for manatees. Appropriate enforcement action will be taken where necessary.
Attempting to physically handle an injured or sick manatee can harm the manatee and possibly put it at risk of “serious injury.” Anyone who sees an injured, distressed, sick or dead manatee should report it to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
The FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have implemented science-based conservation measures. For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Manatee. Educational resources are available at MyFWC.com/Manatee. The viewing guidelines for respectfully observing manatees can be found at https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/viewing-guidelines.
Tips for boat and watercraft operators, and information on what you can do to help manatee conservation, can be found at https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/viewing-guidelines.
To support the FWC’s research, rescue and management efforts, anyone can purchase a Florida manatee license plate at https://myfwc.com/research/manatee/trust-fund/license-plate or donate $5 to purchase a collectible FWC manatee decal available at https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/manatee/decals. Both are available at the St. Johns County Tax Collector’s office.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: As manatees move to warm waters, FWC asks boaters to slow down
