Florida manatee deaths this year outpacing 2024

Report: Manatee deaths on the rise in Florida

Manatee deaths are on the rise in Florida, running well above last year. Lloyd Sowers reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Manatee deaths in Florida have reached 477 so far, which is outpacing last year’s total of 565 for the entire year.

What we know:

One of the leading causes of death for these "sea cows" is watercraft accidents.

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A young manatee is experiencing critical treatment at ZooTampa, with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Fortunately, the animal is doing better although its ability to swim to the bottom of the ocean to feed is negatively affected.

"We see a lot of manatees with blunt trauma, so that’s just the impact of a watercraft going across their back," Jaime Vaccaro, the associate curator of Florida Manatee, ZooTampa, said.

Last year, ZooTampa treated 28 manatees in critical condition. This is the largest number of injured manatees the zoo has seen in its 30 years of business.

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What you can do:

Manatee advocates seek more awareness of manatee safety. When on the water or in manatee zones, if you see a manatee in need of care, you can call the FWC at 1 (888)-404-FWCC.

"The more we can educate and communicate, the more help they can get, they believe more manatees they can save," Vaccaro said. 

What's next:

ZooTampa is opening a new underwater viewing center with air conditioning. It’s set to open in the spring of next year.