Florida manatees are recovering from near-extinction, but boat strikes remain a leading cause of death and injury — inflicting traumatic wounds on animals incapable of rapid evasion.
Boat strikes inflict severe trauma — propeller lacerations that sever flippers, crush ribs, and penetrate body cavities. Manatees that survive strikes often require lengthy rehabilitation, including surgery and wound management. Those that survive without rescue may die slowly from infection or blood loss. The suffering caused by boat strikes is entirely preventable through enforcement of speed restrictions and adoption of detection technology. Manatees are slow, trusting animals with no evolved response to fast-moving watercraft.