This boat operator accelerates in a slow speed zone (minimum wake). All boat and personal watercraft operators must comply with the marked signs on the waterway. Personal watercraft are defined by the U.S. Coast Guard as Class A inboard vessels and must comply with standard vessel regulations. Operators of vessels are required to comply with all prescribed vessel speed regulations. Report accidents by calling the Wildlife Alert hotline 888-404-FWCC (3922). Mobile phone users can call #FWC or *FWC. It is important that you get immediate help for the animal! The sooner the animal is found and its condition assessed, the better its chances of survival. Be responsible for your actions on waterways and take immediate action if something happens. In terms of ecosystem impact, PWC operators can increase water turbidity in the areas where they operate their vessels, which not only makes it harder to see things in the water, but also blocks the light that seagrass beds and other plants need to survive. In addition, when not used in appropriate areas, these vessels can also drill holes in seagrass systems and disturb manatees or other wildlife in prime habitats.

As a building operator, you need to understand how your vessel may impact wildlife and habitat in order to operate your vessel in a way that minimizes the impact on the ecosystem. All boaters enjoy Florida`s marine ecosystem. As boaters, we should pay attention to the impact we have on the environment, as the waters we enjoy can be affected by our actions. Every boater should learn and practice safe boating practices that protect Florida`s waterways. Since Florida`s current Safety Education Act only applies to boaters born on or after January 1, 1988, personal contact between FWC officers and our partner agencies is an important part of our public relations and nautical public education. Statistics show us that the boat operator most likely to be involved in a boating accident is a middle-aged or older man who has a lot of boating experience, but has never learned the most important safety considerations by taking a boating safety course. Observations may include a surface vortex caused by the manatee during diving; see how the back, snout, tail or fin of animals break the surface of the water; or hear the animal when it emerges to breathe. The faster a boat goes, the more force is exerted on a “hit”. For example, the force of a shot at 30 miles per hour is four times greater than that of a shot at 15 miles per hour, all other factors being equal. If a boat hits a manatee in the head, for example while the animal is breathing, the animal can die immediately.

Blows in other areas can result in acute injuries that quickly lead to death, but also chronic injuries that last for days, weeks or more before the manatee finally succumbs. Internal injuries such as broken or dislocated ribs can lead to death from internal bleeding or infection. Florida leads the country in boating deaths, injuries and accidents. With nearly one million vessels registered in the state, Florida leads the country in vessel counts and has the highest number of vessel fatalities per year, a negative result of the high number of vessels and our mild climate. About 25 to 30 percent of manatee deaths across the state are attributed to boats. In recent years, manatee deaths from blunt (non-sharp) overvoltages have surpassed manatee deaths from propeller cuts, with a small proportion of deaths or injuries attributed to both causes. Please see FWC`s Boating Safety section for more information.