FORT PIERCE — Manatee season is officially underway, and with colder weather sending the animals into shallow, warmer waters, officials are urging boaters and residents to use caution.
Elise Geraghti, education coordinator for the Manatee Center in Fort Pierce, said boaters should be especially careful in manatee protection zones.
“The most important thing is looking for manatee zone signs, slowing down in the posted manatee zone areas, and operating in idle speed in the shallow waterways, where they primarily live,” she said. “That’s where their seagrasses. So if we can get these boaters just to slow down in the shallows, that would be an amazing feat in itself.”
As temperatures drop, manatees migrate to warm, shallow water to conserve heat. Geraghti said several locations in Fort Pierce are common winter gathering spots.
“We tell people to look near the Fort Pierce jetty. There’s a little cove out there, so they tend to stay in there. They do go to the marinas a lot,” she said. “They only drink freshwater, which is your Taylor Creek and Moores Creek, and some of those areas, where the saltwater meets the freshwater, is a thermal basin area. So there is a little bit of a toasty area there that’s natural. Also the power plants — they will migrate over to the power plant areas. That’s where the water gets pumped in to cool down the pipes and they like that toasty water.”
Because manatees become easier to spot in these locations, Geraghti said people should keep from getting too close.
“The best way is just admiring them from a distance. You can take the boat tour at Fort Pierce City Marina,” she said. “They know how to maneuver around the manatees out there, so that would be a wonderful way to see the manatees in the wild.”
If people find themselves close to a manatee unexpectedly, she said they should avoid touching, feeding or offering water.
“Never feed or give manatees water. It’s illegal and dangerous for them, so if they learn to associate people with food, they’ll start approaching boats more often, putting them at a greater risk,” she said.
Geraghti said that during manatee season, calls about possible manatee deaths increase, but many turn out to be resting animals.
“If you see a manatee that looks injured or distressed, we always ask that you call the FWC hotline at 888-404-FWCC,” she said. “We want people to know that manatees do surface rest. So we get many phone calls that there’s a deceased manatee in the water, and basically they’re resting. Monitor them, make sure they’re coming up for their breath every 20 minutes or so. If they’re tilted on the side, something could be wrong, but we always ask that people do call that FWC hotline.”
Elise reiterated that if a manatee appears distressed, the best course is to stay back and call professionals.
“If you see anything that looks odd, never approach a manatee. The best thing to do is call that FWC number,” she said.
Manatee season runs through the end of March.