Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports 318 manatees have died so far this year. Locally; two in Clay County, six in St. Johns County and six in Duval County.
As summer approaches more boaters will be on the waterways and it’s imperative they pay attention and slow down whenever entering or exiting, shallow water.
Manatees have no natural predators, the majority of unnatural manatee deaths in Florida waters occur because of careless boaters.
The number of manatee deaths have been climbing over the past several years, from 371 deaths in 2014 to 538 in 2017.
Those numbers can be reduced by simply slowing down in shallow waters.
If you are out on the water and see a manatee that might be injured, please alert help by calling the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922)