Starting Friday, seasonal manatee zones will be in effect. Florida wildlife officials are warning boaters to slow down for the sea cows to avoid injuring them.
Boaters must follow the posted manatee speeding zones through November 15. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Ron Mezich says around this time, manatees are leaving their warm water refuges and going back to Florida waterways all across the state.
“So, some of our manatee zones are going back into effect, which will regulate speed of vessels in some areas,” he said. “And, because the areas are moving from the areas now, it’s important for boaters to be not only aware of the current speed zones, but also looking for manatees when they’re in their boats moving down the waterways.”
Mezich says there are signs to lookout for in the water.
“One is when the manatee’s nose comes up, and often times, that’s all we see,” he added. “It will look a little bit like a coconut with the two nostrils sticking up above the water. And, when they’re swimming, look for what we call tail signs and those are large rings in the water. As the manatee swims, it pushes water to the surface and it comes to the surface in a ring and these rings will move down the waterway.”
If there’s more than one person on the boat, Mezich says a lookout should be chosen and polarized sunglasses are preferable for spotting manatees as well.
Meanwhile, a bill died in the legislative process this past session aimed at rethinking the manatee zones. It would have directed FWC to commission a study to determine their effectiveness. But, Mezich says the FWC has already done studies that show the zones’ value.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.
