This year’s Florida manatee deaths are on the rise
Florida's manatee deaths surge past last year's total, prompting urgent calls for boater awareness and wildlife protection.
The Brief:
- State statistics show 477 manatee deaths so far this year, compared to 565 deaths in all of 2024.
- A young manatee at ZooTampa is in critical condition with broken ribs and a punctured lung, but is showing signs of improvement.
- Manatee advocates are urging increased awareness among watercraft operators and encouraging the public to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) if an injured manatee is spotted.
What We Know
Manatee deaths in Florida have reached 477 so far this year, already outpacing last year’s total of 565 deaths for the entire year.
One of the leading causes of death for these gentle “sea cows” is watercraft accidents.
A young manatee is currently receiving critical treatment at ZooTampa after suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung. Fortunately, the animal is improving, although its ability to dive to the bottom to feed has been affected. Caretakers are working to rehabilitate the manatee with hopes of eventually releasing it back into the wild.
“We see a lot of manatees with blunt trauma, so that’s just the impact of a watercraft going across their back,” said Jaime Vaccaro, Associate Curator of Florida Manatees at ZooTampa.
ZooTampa recently added two additional critical care tanks to the three existing tanks at the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center.
Last year, ZooTampa treated 28 critically injured manatees, the largest number the zoo has seen in its 30 years of manatee rehabilitation.
What You Can Do
Manatee advocates are calling for increased awareness of manatee safety among boaters, especially in designated manatee protection zones.
If you see a manatee in need of care, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at
1-888-404-FWCC (3922).
Vaccaro emphasizes the importance of education and awareness:
“The more we can educate and communicate, the more help they can get. We believe the more people understand, the more manatees we can save.”
What’s Next
ZooTampa is opening a new underwater manatee viewing center, scheduled to debut in the spring of next year.
Source: Information derived from a WTVT interview with Jaime Vaccaro, Associate Curator of Florida Manatees at ZooTampa, and data published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
