Manatees are gentle, slow-moving marine mammals that suffer severely from boat propeller strikes. Despite speed restrictions in manatee zones, collisions remain a leading cause of injury and death.
Boat strike injuries cause severe and prolonged suffering. Propeller lacerations expose bone, damage organs, and create wounds prone to secondary infection. Animals that survive initial strikes often suffer from internal injuries that take days to cause death. Rehabilitation of injured manatees is expensive and intensive — but critical for both welfare and population recovery. Speed restrictions in manatee zones are effective when enforced, but compliance is inconsistent. The accumulation of multiple injuries on individual animals — visible in their scar patterns — tells a story of repeated encounters with boats throughout their lives.