Help Save Our Manatees

Manatees are giant marine mammals that live in the water around Florida. They are worth saving because only about 4,800 of these lovable animals remain.

By eating lots of water plants, manatees help clear rivers for boaters and fishers. A 1,000-pound manatee eats 150 pounds of river-clogging weeds in one day! Many people just enjoy watching these graceful creatures swim peacefully along in Florida’s coastal waterways.

People cause more than two-thirds of all manatee deaths. Some people have shot manatees, and that’s illegal. Often manatees are seriously injured or killed when boats run over them. Manatees also die from swallowing fishhooks, old fishing line, and garbage that litters the waterways.

Only people can save the manatee. It is easy. People can help save manatees by not littering the waterways. They can obey boating speed limits and slow down in manatee areas. And anyone can write a letter, send an email, or make a phone call to lawmakers, asking for laws to help save the manatee.