Florida manatees face chronic boat strike injuries that cause scarring, bone damage, and death, yet simple speed restrictions in manatee habitat zones could dramatically reduce this preventable welfare harm.
Boat strikes cause welfare harms ranging from acute lethal trauma to chronic non-lethal injuries. Propeller strikes create deep parallel lacerations across the back and flanks that heal as raised scars — injuries that must be intensely painful during the healing process. Non-lethal strikes may fracture vertebrae or flippers, causing chronic pain and impaired mobility that affects foraging ability. The lack of fear response in manatees — who have not evolved with motorized predators — means they do not take evasive action, even when a boat is approaching directly. Simple human behavior change — slowing down in designated manatee zones and watching for animals near the surface — would prevent the majority of strikes.