Boating and Jet Skiing Guidelines

Guidelines

Follow these guidelines while boating and/or jet skiing.

• Abide by the posted speed zone signs while in areas known to have manatees present or when observations indicate manatees might be present. Observations may include
• a swirl at the surface caused by the manatee while diving
• seeing the animal's back, snout, tail, or flipper break the surface of the water or
• hearing it when it surfaces to breathe.
• Wear polarized sunglasses to reduce glare on the surface of the water. This will enable you to see manatees more easily.
• Try to stay in deep water channels. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow moving rivers, estuaries, lagoons and coastal areas.
• Avoid boating over seagrass beds and shallow areas.
• Remain at least 50 feet away from a manatee when operating a powerboat. Do not operate a boat over large concentrations of manatees.
• If you like to water ski, please choose areas that manatees do not use, or cannot enter, such as landlocked lakes.

• Please do not discard monofilament line, hooks, or any other litter into the water. Manatees may ingest or become entangled in the debris and become injured or even die.
  
  Note: Discarding monofilament fishing line into the waters of Florida is unlawful.