The West Indian manatee is a large graybrown aquatic mammal. Its seal-like body tapers to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. The upper part of its body has two small forelimbs with three-to-four nails on each flipper. The head and face are wrinkled and the snout has stiff whiskers.

Adults have been known to reach lengths of over 13 feet and weights of over 3,000 pounds. Calves are three-to-four feet long and 60-to-70 pounds at birth.

Manatees spend most of their time feeding and resting. They graze for food along rivers, coastal bottoms and at the water's surface. Manatees have been known to hold their breath for as long as 20 minutes, but they usually surface about every five minutes to breathe.

Their minimum population is estimated to be about 1800; however, the continuing growth of Florida's coastal areas threatens the manatee's survival.

THE MANATEE Is DEPENDENT ON YOU
FOR ITS SURVIVAL

You can reduce your chances of encountering a manatee by following these simple steps:

* Wear polarized glasses while operating a boat. Polarized lenses make it much easier to see the "swirling" that occurs when a manatee surfaces for air.

* Stay in the center of the marked channel. Manatees have shown signs that they are avoiding heavy boat traffic areas. Channel depth reduces the likelihood of pinning or crushing manatees.

* Stay out of seagrasses. Grass beds are prime manatee habitat. This includes areas where hydrilla and water hyacinths are present.

*Slow down. Your boat has speeds other than idle and "wide open." Reducing your speed gives you greater maneuverability to avoid a manatee when you see one, and you'll also save gas.

* Observe all manatee speed zones and caution areas.

As divers, you are directly entering the manatee's habitat. By following these simple rules you can minimize your impact:

*Use snorkel gear when diving with manatees. The sound of bubbles from SCUBA gear can frighten the manatees.

*Manatees are wild animals and should not be fed. Close exposure to or dependence on humans can be harmful to them.

*While swimming or diving, do not approach or chase a manatee. Give a manatee its "personal space."

*A cow and her calf belong together. Please do not separate them. (Do not separate or single out any individual manatee from a herd.)

*Never poke, prod or stab a manatee with your hands, feet or any object.

*Look, but please do not touch the manatee.

*Take only as many pictures as the manatees Will voluntarily pose for.

To alert the boater and protect the manatee in its sanctuaries, the law provides a number of cautionary and regulatory speed zones. The following illustrates and explains the various signs:

IDLE SPEED ZONE - a zone in which boats are not permitted to go any faster than necessary to be steered; generally these signs appear near the center of a protected manatee sanctuary.

SLOW SPEED ZONE - a no-wake or minimum-wake zone where boats must not be on a plane and must be level in the water.

CAUTION ZONE - a zone frequently inhabited by manatees, requiring caution on the part of boaters to avoid disturbing or injuring the animals.

NO ENTRY ZONE - a protected zone that prohibits boating, swimming and diving for the protection of manatees.

SAFE OPERATING ZONE - a sign indicating that you may resume safe boating speed; visible as you leave a protected area.

Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. It is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy or molest manatees.

The state of Florida has also established a number of cautionary and regulatory speed zones to protect the manatee in its habitat.

Anyone convicted of violating state law faces maximum fines of $500 and/or imprisonment of up to 60 days. Conviction for violating federal protection laws is punishable by fines up to $20,000 and/or one year in prison.

Please obey all manatee protection laws.

TO REPORT MANATEE DEATHS, INJURIES,
HARASSMENT OR RADIO-TAGGED MANATEES

CALL THE FLORIDA MARINE PATROL
AT
1-800-DIAL-FMP
1-800-342-5367

The Florida Department of Natural Resources