News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—March 28, 2023
Contact: media@savethemanatee.org, 407-539-0990

MAITLAND, FL—March 29 is Manatee Appreciation Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of manatees and promoting their conservation. It is celebrated on the last Wednesday in March, with the aim of educating the public about the importance of protecting manatees—large, gentle marine mammals that are found in warm waters around the world, including Florida, the Caribbean, South America, and West Africa—and their habitats.

Throughout the day, Save the Manatee Club will share manatee facts, videos, quizzes, and opportunities to take action on its website at savethemanatee.org/MAD and on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. SMC will also host a free webinar, “Manatee 101,” at 6:00 p.m. ET to share more information about manatees, where they live, what is being done to protect them, and more.

On Manatee Appreciation Day and every day, individuals can do their part to protect manatees by:

• Reporting distressed, sick, injured, or dead manatees to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922);
• Staying manatee-safe on the water by learning and following manatee safety tips, and by requesting free materials for boaters, paddlers, and waterfront property owners to help promote manatee safety at savethemanatee.org/resources;
• Resisting the urge to feed or give water to manatees, which is illegal and can negatively impact their natural behavior;
• Taking the pledge to be Fertilizer-Free For Manatees, thus helping to reduce pollution from yard chemicals, which prevent harmful algal blooms from forming;
• Adopting one of over 30 manatees that are part of Save the Manatee Club’s popular Adopt-A-Manatee® program.

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Save the Manatee Club, established in 1981 by the late renowned singer-songwriter, author, and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett, along with the late former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham, is dedicated to safeguarding manatees and preserving their aquatic habitat. For more information about manatees and the Club’s efforts, visit savethemanatee.org or call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).