SARASOTA, Fla. — Manatees are on the move. As the water warms up, they're looking for food. They spend quite a bit of time near the surface, so boaters need to keep an eye out. Manatees are a threatened species and boats are one of their top threats.
“Boaters can make sure abide by slow wake zones. Go slow by sea grass beds where they might be feeding. Have a spotter on your boat help you look for animals in the water. Wearing polarized lens can help you differentiate shapes in the water as well,” Stephannie Kettle from Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium said.
FWC has seen an uptick over the last year in the number of boaters in both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Sarasota had 3,215 registered boats in 2021 compared to 3,060 in 2020. In Manatee, there were 4,024 boats in 2021 compared to 3,408 in 2020.
If you see any marine life in distress, you should give FWC or Mote a call. You can report sick, injured or dead manatees by calling 888-404-FWCC. Mote has a 24/7 hotline number for reporting distressed, injured or deceased sea turtles, manatees, dolphins or whales in the Sarasota/Manatee region. Just call 888-345-2335 if you see a problem.