Most visitors never meet most of this. Florida is a big state and its wildlife changes a lot from region to region - a cane toad is a South Florida backyard problem, a black bear is a central and north Florida one, and a crocodile only matters in the far south. These guides are here for the encounter you do have, not because one is likely.
Manatees are harmless to dogs, but a dog can get you in real legal trouble with a manatee: disturbing one is illegal under state and federal law, and a dog that barks at, splashes after or swims toward a manatee is doing exactly that kind of disturbing. When manatees are nearby, keep your dog leashed on shore or secured in the boat, and watch from a distance.
Where and when you will see manatees
Florida manatees use rivers, springs, canals, coastal bays and estuaries all around the state. In warm months they spread out widely, and it is common to spot one in a residential canal or near a marina. In winter they concentrate. According to FWC, manatees seek out warm water whenever the water temperature drops below about 68°F, because prolonged exposure to colder water can cause cold stress that can be fatal. Their winter refuges are natural springs and the warm-water outflows of power plants.
That is why FWC’s viewing season at most sites runs from about November through May. Well-known viewing spots include Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Manatee Springs State Park near Chiefland, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, Lee County Manatee Park in Fort Myers, the TECO Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, and Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach. Each site sets its own pet rules, and Florida State Parks keep pets out of swimming areas and park buildings, so check before you bring the dog.
What the law says
Manatees are protected by three layers of law:
- The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
- The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the West Indian manatee from endangered to threatened in 2017, and said existing federal protections remain in place.
- The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which makes it unlawful to annoy, molest, harass or disturb any manatee.
According to FWC’s manatee viewing guidelines, a state conviction can bring a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail, and a federal conviction up to $50,000 and a year in prison. Your dog is your responsibility.
FWC’s viewing rules boil down to this: look, but do not touch. Do not feed manatees or give them fresh water from a hose. Do not chase, poke, surround or single out a manatee, and never separate a mother and calf. Stay out of areas posted “No Entry – Manatee Refuge.” FWC’s simplest test is the best one: if a manatee changes its behavior because of you, you are too close.
Why a dog changes the situation
A dog does not know any of this. A dog that spots a big gray shape in the water may bark, splash in after it, paw at it from a dock, or swim straight out to investigate. Even a friendly dog swimming toward a manatee can disturb it, and a manatee forced to move can be pushed out of warm water or away from a calf.
It is not risk-free for the dog either. Manatees are not aggressive, but they are very large, and FWC warns paddlers that a manatee’s powerful tail can flip a small boat if the animal makes a sudden, forceful move to get away. A dog in the water next to a startled manatee can be struck, and the waterways manatees use also hold boat traffic, and in fresh water, alligators.
With a dog on a boat, kayak or paddleboard
Manatees spend a lot of time just below the surface, and boat strikes are a serious threat to them. If you boat with a dog in manatee habitat:
- Follow posted manatee speed zones and watch the water ahead for the round swirls, snouts and backs that give manatees away.
- Keep the dog secured with a harness and short tether or under hand control, so it cannot jump overboard when it spots something. A properly fitted dog life jacket is worth having regardless.
- Give manatees a wide berth and let them move on before you continue.
Paddlers get closer to manatees than anyone else. If one surfaces near your kayak or board, stay calm, do not touch it or encourage it, and back away until it loses interest and resumes what it was doing. A dog aboard a paddleboard needs to be under especially tight control, since a sudden lunge can put both of you in the water. Our guide to boating with dogs in Florida covers the rest.
Crystal River and the winter refuges
Crystal River and Kings Bay, on the Gulf coast north of Tampa, are the only place in Florida where swimming near manatees is offered as a monitored activity, according to FWC. That permission is for people following the rules, not for dogs. Keep dogs out of the water there and anywhere manatees are gathered.
Winter gatherings are the most sensitive time. Manatees at a spring or power-plant outflow in cold weather are conserving energy, and FWC warns that startling them can push them out of the warm water they need to survive. On cold days, give refuges extra space and keep the dog quiet and well back from the water.
What to do with the dog when a manatee shows up
Leash the dog on shore or secure it in the boat, keep it quiet, and move back. Enjoy the moment from a distance, with binoculars if you have them. Do not let the dog drink from or swim in water where manatees are crowded into a refuge.
If you see a manatee that looks injured, tangled, orphaned, cold-stressed or dead, or you see someone harassing one, do not try to help it yourself. Call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922), or *FWC or #FWC from a cell phone. Early reports give rescue teams the best chance. For more on marine mammals and dogs, see dolphins and dogs in Florida and the complete guide to Florida wildlife with pets.
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