VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — If you’re hitting the water, you may notice more Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission patrols around.

Officials are now adding extra patrols because manatee deaths are on the rise, and 2019 may even set a new record. ​

  • FWC increasing patrols on the water due to increasing manatee deaths
  • 340 manatees in Florida killed so far in 2019, 93 watercraft-related
  • FWC: If you see an injured or dead manatee in the water, report it

“The extra patrols for the manatee zones are going to be in the south end of Volusia and the north end of Brevard," said Clay McDonough, an FWC officer.

According to the Save the Manatee Club, 340 manatees have been killed so far this year, with 93 of those being watercraft-related.

“It could be boater inattentiveness," said Chad Weber, an FWC officer. "People not paying attention to our posted manatee zones, and so that’s the reason why we are posting officers in these areas.”  

Another reason behind the increase in deaths could be because the manatee population is growing.

“I’ve worked here since 2004, and it does seem like there are more and more manatees in the river, so that could be a possible correlation of why there is more deaths, because the numbers are also increasing,” McDonough said.

However, if manatees continue to get killed by boats this year, 2019 could set new records.

“I am hoping that these patrols will start a decrease in these manatee fatalities in that we don’t break a record,” Weber said.

While the patrols hope to serve as a visual deterrent, they’ll stop any speeders they find.

“We’ll stop and educate them either through warnings or citations, whatever we see as adequate,” said McDonough.

FWC officers also give them tips on how to watch out for the marine mammals.

"People should keep their head on a swivel, pay attention to their surroundings,” Weber said. "Little things like wearing polarized sunglasses, you can see a manatee in the water and then in our slow speed zones, manatee make a distinct imprint when they are swimming. There is a big boil, so just paying attention to what they are doing on the water would be helpful as well."

This drives home the point that Florida is doing everything it can to protect the manatees.

“I hope that people see that we are taking this very seriously," Weber said.

If you see an injured or dead manatee somewhere in the water, FWC officers say you should report it immediately. If the manatee is hurt, they may be able to help it before it is too late.