Why Is It Illegal to Touch a Manatee?

Touching a manatee is illegal in the United States. The ban’s aim is to protect these vulnerable marine mammals from harm and stress caused by human interaction. The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is safeguarded under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, which prohibit any act of harassment, hunting, capture, or killing of listed animals. “Harassment” includes actions that disturb or alter natural behaviors, such as touching, which can disrupt feeding, mating, and migration patterns. Though no longer classified as endangered in the United States, Florida manatees remain a threatened species and are vulnerable to habitat loss and boat collisions—a leading cause of manatee deaths in Florida. Shockingly, about 96 percent of living manatees bear scars from boat injuries, and most have been hit multiple times. Human contact can lead manatees to become accustomed to people, increasing their risk of injury from boats in waterways, and people in boats seeking to touch or swim with manatees are themselves a cause of such collisions. Maintaining a safe distance and letting these slow and gentle wild animals stay wild is thus critical for their conservation and long-term survival.