Florida’s Manatee Laws
- Do NOT enter designated/posted sanctuaries for any reason.
- Do NOT pursue/chase (swimming after) or corner a manatee . This includes following manatees for any reason.
- Do NOT disturb a resting manatee. Sleeping manatees sometimes rest in a “face-plant” on the river bottom, rising for air every few minutes. It is unlawful to interfere with this.
- Do NOT attempt to feed the manatees or give them water. Doing so may make the manatee associate food and water with humans, endangering the manatee and is illegal.
- Do NOT attempt to ride, poke, prod, or grab the manatee at any time with any object including your hand or foot.
- Do NOT attempt to single out or surround a manatee.
- Do NOT attempt to separate a calf from it’s mother, or any manatee from a group of manatees.
It is still possible to have a wonderful manatee encounter even with the above rule. Just remember that all encounters MUST be on the manatee’s own terms.
Manatees are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which make it illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill any marine mammal.
Manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. Anyone convicted of violating this state law faces a possible maximum fine of $500.00 and/or imprisonment for up to 60 days. Conviction on the federal level is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 and/or one year in prison. Feeding manatees, giving them water, or otherwise altering their natural behavior can be considered harassment.
It is a second degree misdemeanor to intentionally discard any monofilament fishing line or monofilament netting into or onto the waters of the state of Florida.
Call the Wildlife Alert Hotline 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC/#FWC, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio if you see an injured, dead, tagged, or orphaned manatee, or if you see a manatee being harassed.
