Yes, it is illegal to touch a manatee in the United States. Yes, no matter how it sounds to you, it is true that these big, gentle sea critters, mostly found in places like Florida, are totally off-limits. Off-limits? How? Well, there is a specific law that actually makes it illegal to annoy these creatures, and that’s why you shouldn’t just go out there and touch one just for fun. That’s not good and sure enough, it can land you in some legal mess too, so why even think of doing something like this? Though, many people do not have any idea that they’re not allowed to touch a manatee, but they go for it anyway and then they find themselves hit with a fine or something like that.
Why Are Manatees Protected Anyway?
Well, for many of you out there, it would be a little surprising to know that even touching a manatee is an illegal thing, but why’s that the case though? Like why are these creatures which we often call the “Sea Cows” protected this much? That’s just because these creatures aren’t doing too well out there in the wild, like yes, they need saving because their population is decreasing year after year.
And why’s something like that happening? See, if you take an interest in wildlife, you’d certainly know that just like many other endangered species out there, Manatees are also the victims of major threats like loss of habitat as well as collisions with man-made things like ships and boats.
Looking at how fast the population of these sea creatures was decreasing, the government stepped in, like yes, they had to do something about it because they can’t just let another species go completely extinct, right? So, that’s precisely why we saw the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978 come into action. Though, before that, there were also some big protection acts too like the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. But these previous laws weren’t too specific about Manatees, and that’s why we came up with the most effective one back in 1978, and yes, this is THE law that makes it kinda illegal to even touch a manatee when you see one.
See, the penalty or punishment of doing so depends upon what you do, like if you’re just out there annoying a manatee, you’ll have to pay a fine, a pretty hefty one actually. And if you go out of your way to harm a manatee, well, that can even land you in a jail cell, so be prepared for that if something like this is going on in your head.
What the Law Specifically Says?
What does this manatee protection law say? Oh, that’s pretty clear actually. You don’t mess with a manatee, period. Simple as that! And sure enough, under this law, touching them counts as “harassment,” and you should be aware of that before you go see one out in the wild. And it is not just the touching part that is illegal, like, if you’re out there and you somehow try to annoy these creatures, you know, when they’re chilling out there, maybe eating something, and your action distracts them or makes them stop whatever they’re doing, then that comes under the “harassment” part too.
Like, down there in Florida, the state law’s all like, “Don’t annoy or disturb them either.” But what’s the fine if you even do so or maybe unknowingly do it? Well, that’s about $500 or even 0 days of jail time as per the rules. Though let’s say you do more than just touching them, like going out of your way to harm them in some way, then the fine can go as high as $100k and even 1 year of jail time.