{"id":64,"date":"2024-08-23T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boatsmartexam.com\/blog\/\/?p=64"},"modified":"2024-10-01T21:13:38","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T21:13:38","slug":"protecting-floridas-manatees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boatsmartexam.com\/blog\/protecting-floridas-manatees\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Know About Protecting Florida\u2019s Manatees and Marine Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Boating comes with plenty of responsibility. Not only are you responsible for keeping yourself, friends, family, and other boaters safe while you operate a boat, but you must also do your part to protect the environment and wildlife in the areas where you boat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When boating in Florida<\/a>, boaters must be aware of manatees and how to protect this species in the water. These are protected animals prone to collisions with boats because of their slow, gentle nature. Keep reading to learn more about these animals and how to keep them (and yourself) safe when boating in Florida’s waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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All About Florida’s Manatees<\/h2>\n

Florida\u2019s manatees<\/a> are large aquatic mammals recognizable from their thick, gray, wrinkled skin. They can be found in fresh, brackish, and saltwater throughout Florida, including navigable canals. They\u2019ve even been known to get through lock systems to move further upriver and into canal systems.<\/p>\n

Manatees can be slow-moving creatures, spending most of their time eating and sleeping. They can live for over 60 years, but sadly, only about half of wild manatees will survive into their twenties.<\/p>\n

Manatees reproduce at a slow rate. Since a calf depends on its mother for at least two years, manatees can only give birth to a new calf every three years.<\/p>\n

Their slow rate of reproduction and high death rates make the long-term recovery of the manatee population very difficult.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Boating around Manatees<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Manatees are mammals, which means they must re-surface to breathe every 2-4 minutes. This means that manatees are often found very close to the water’s surface, increasing their risk of being hit by watercraft.<\/p>\n

In fact, the most significant cause of human-related manatee mortality is watercraft collision. Most manatees have scars on their backs or tails from collisions with watercraft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How Can Boaters Help Protect Manatees?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You can help protect manatees<\/a> by following a few tips when on the water in Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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