Do you know it is illegal to touch manatees? Yes! It is unlawful to touch those docile sea giants. Manatees are categorised as endangered species. Here is everything you should know about manatees and why it is illegal to touch them.
Manatees are also known as sea cows, they are found in warm, shallow coastal waters, rivers, and estuaries. They are primarily herbivorous creatures that are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the great threat to them is human interaction activities.
Legal Protection For Manatees
Manatees are protected under many US wildlife acts, which protect them from being harassed, disturbed, and touched.
- Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972)
- This act protects all sea animals including manatees. It prohibits activities like hunting, touching, or harassing the manatees, if the violation of this act penalty of $100,000 can be levied.
- Endangered Species Act (1973)
- This act prohibits activities towards endangered species like Manatees, such as hunting, capturing, or killing. This includes touching, chasing, or altering their natural behaviors.
- Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act (1978)
- This act is specially made for Florida manatees, to create a sanctuary for manatees in state waters. This act prohibits activities including harassment, disturbance, feeding, and touching of manatees. On the violation of this act, a penalty of $25000 is charged and imprisonment for harming the manatees.
As manatees are endangered mammals, these laws help to protect them from threats like boat strikes, habitat loss, and other environmental factors.
Reasons Why Touching Manatee Is Harmful
- Stress –Manatees are sensitive. Human interactions(including touching) can lead to cold-stress syndrome to manatees.
- Behavioral changes- Manatees are wild animals, and even though they live in solitary human interaction can cause behavioral changes.
- Infectious risks- due to their delicate skin, touching manatees can transmit bacteria or pollutants that may cause them health risks.
- Injury to humans- although manatees are gentle creatures, however, they are powerful as well, causing unintentional injury to humans upon disturbance or sudden movements.
- Ecological disbalance: Manatees graze upon aquatic plants, seagrasses, etc. Feeding them can interrupt the ecological balance.
- Dependency- a constant interaction with a human may cause manatees to lose their survival habits.
- Migratory behaviour- long-lasting human interactions can cause manatees to live in unsafe environments rather than their natural habitat.x
How To Interact With Manatees?
The best way to interact with manatees is to admire them from a distance. You have to keep these guidelines in mind while interacting with manatees and get full of your experience without causing any harm to them.
- View from a distance: Only view them if you have to, however not up close. Use binoculars if you need a closer view.
- Be calm and quiet: loud noises or sudden movements can scare them
- Wait for them to come: If a manatee swims towards you, wait for it to happen without chasing after the manatee.
- Don’t Touch: Manatees don’t like being petted or touched since it will stress them out.
- Don’t Feed: Feeding the manatees is not only unacceptable for manatees, but feeding manatees also causes ecological disbalance.
- Avoid blocking their path: You should let manatees have a space to breathe air, especially near the surface, in case they need to surface to breathe for at least five to ten minutes.
- Obey local laws: Obey any local law, such as the no wake zone or laws indicating how you are supposed to interact with manatees.
Conclusion
Manatees are gentle, you might want to pet them or interact with them However, touching or disturbing them impacts their health and safety, with the purpose of creating a safe space for them. Abiding by these legal protections is helpful in protecting manatees in their natural habitat and maintaining their survival. So admire them with a respectful distance and have a enjoyable experience.
FAQ’s
Ques1. What happens if you touch a manatee in Florida?
Answer—According to the guidelines of the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, harassment or disturbance can result in a fine of $25000 or imprisonment.
Ques2. Will a manatee hurt you?
Answer—No. Manatees are gentle sea creatures. They are generally calm and composed. However, if disturbed, they may cause injury due to sudden movements.
Ques3. Why are human threats to manatees?
Answer- Human interaction is a threat to manatees as it changes their natural behaviour, which may cause them stress and health risks.
Ques4. What’s the best way to admire a manatee?
Answer- passive observation, that is, admiring the manatee from afar, preferably using binoculars, is the best way.
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