A dead manatee was found in the Wakulla River over the weekend; according to the Florida fish and wildlife Conservation commission, it was likely killed by a run-in with a boat propellor.
Boat strikes have killed at least 64 manatees across Florida this year.
As of July 4th, 458 manatees have died in Florida waters – more than all of last year.
The vast majority of manatee deaths have occurred in South Florida because they have a much larger manatee population, but plenty of the creatures swim to our area during the spring and summer.
There have been six recorded manatee deaths in Franklin County this year, as well as 6 in Wakulla County and 1 in Gulf County.
It is estimated that about 7500 manatees live in Florida waters.
The manatee was once classified as endangered by the federal government, but it was reclassified as threatened in 2017.
If boaters took a few simple precautions, the number of manatee deaths could be cut substantially.
Precautions include abiding by posted boat speed limits, staying in marked channels, and wearing polarized sunglasses while boating to give you improved vision.
Also don’t boat over grass flats or areas where manatees congregate.
If you find a sick or injured manatee you should report it to the Florida Wildlife Alert Hot line at 888-404-3922.
Boat strikes have killed at least 64 manatees across Florida this year.
As of July 4th, 458 manatees have died in Florida waters – more than all of last year.
The vast majority of manatee deaths have occurred in South Florida because they have a much larger manatee population, but plenty of the creatures swim to our area during the spring and summer.
There have been six recorded manatee deaths in Franklin County this year, as well as 6 in Wakulla County and 1 in Gulf County.
It is estimated that about 7500 manatees live in Florida waters.
The manatee was once classified as endangered by the federal government, but it was reclassified as threatened in 2017.
If boaters took a few simple precautions, the number of manatee deaths could be cut substantially.
Precautions include abiding by posted boat speed limits, staying in marked channels, and wearing polarized sunglasses while boating to give you improved vision.
Also don’t boat over grass flats or areas where manatees congregate.
If you find a sick or injured manatee you should report it to the Florida Wildlife Alert Hot line at 888-404-3922.
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