Our Vision and Mission

Save the Manatee Club is an award-winning national nonprofit 501(c)(3) and membership-based organization established in 1981 by the late renowned singer-songwriter, author, and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett, and former U.S. Senator Bob Graham when he was governor of Florida.

Our Mission

Save the Manatee Club’s mission is to protect manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations.

Our Objective

The Club’s objective is the recovery and protection of manatees and their aquatic ecosystems throughout the world.

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Watch our video and learn about Save the Manatee Club’s work:
who we are, what we do, and why we need your support.

Manatees Swimming Drs Stmc

Why We Need Your Support

Human activities are harming manatees, and only our compassion and action can protect them.

Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal. The IUCN World Conservation Union lists them as vulnerable at the international level. They are listed as threatened at the federal level by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and at the state level by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Their listing status is largely due to human activity. Since record-keeping began in 1974, more than 41% of manatee deaths where the cause of death was identified were human-related—and almost 34% were due to watercraft collisions (the largest known cause of manatee deaths). With increased awareness, education, regulations, and enforcement, manatee deaths caused by humans could be substantially reduced, and the eventual recovery of the species could be realized.

Our Goals

An above-water photo showing several manatees congregating at a freshwater spring.

Protect and Recover Habitat

Protect and recover ample healthy habitat to support a stable or growing manatee population.

Manatees Swimmers Harassment Drs Stmc

Reduce Harassment

Reduce manatee harassment, injuries, and deaths from human activity.

Manatee Zone Sign Drs Stmc

Ensure Protection

Ensure that sufficient regulatory protections have been adopted and are supported by a broad constituency to accomplish these goals for the present and foreseeable future.

Our Core Values

  • Supporting the most effective conservation actions possible
  • Making science-based decisions and supporting science-driven policies
  • Demanding accountability from policy-makers
  • Working cooperatively