Boat strikes are the leading cause of manatee mortality in Florida, causing traumatic injuries that often result in chronic pain, disability, and death for individual animals.
Boat strike injuries cause significant and prolonged suffering. Propeller wounds can sever flippers, penetrate body cavities, or cause spinal fractures that leave manatees partially paralyzed. Animals that survive initial strikes often carry permanent disabilities affecting their ability to feed, breathe, and travel. Rescue and rehabilitation of injured manatees is effective but costly and cannot keep pace with injury rates. The aggregation of manatees at warm water discharge points near power plants creates a vulnerability where large numbers of animals are concentrated in areas accessible to boat traffic. Cold snaps that force manatees to seek warm water during winter months are times of peak mortality risk.