Noticias

Sector Ciencia

Por la Dra. Beth Brady, Directora de Ciencia y Conservación

Nadar con manatíes: ¿inofensivo o dañino?
You may have seen videos or advertisements online regarding swimming with manatees. These clips often highlight manatees interacting with humans by hugging a leg or giving a “kiss.” It’s easy to understand why people are drawn to the idea: manatees are gentle, curious, and charismatic, and many people want a close encounter. But what many people don’t realize is that swimming with manatees can be harmful to them.

Do manatees want to interact with humans?
Research shows that very few manatees actually seek out human contact.^{1 2} In fact, most encounters happen because people approach the manatee, and many of those situations are considered harassment.² Harassment is any action that disturbs or stresses a manatee, causing them to change their natural behavior, or puts them at risk of harm. This includes approaching too closely, chasing, stepping on, or interfering with a manatee’s feeding, resting, or social behaviors.

Furthermore, manatees change their behavior when humans are nearby. Studies have found that manatees spend more time swimming and less time resting when swimmers are present.³ At Three Sisters Springs, researchers found that manatees shifted their distribution and used sanctuaries more often as the number of swimmers and boats increased.^{2 4 5 6} Sanctuaries are no-entry zones where boats and swimmers are prohibited. In these areas, manatees need to rest and conserve energy, particularly during the winter months, away from the threat of human harassment.

Behavioral changes due to human interactions aren’t unique to manatees. Research on other species (such as pinnipeds⁷ and dolphins⁸) shows that as humans get closer, animals’ disturbance responses increase. Just because a manatee doesn’t immediately swim away from human interaction doesn’t mean they’re comfortable; they may simply be tolerating the situation or unsure of how to safely exit.

But what about manatees that choose to interact with you? Is interacting with them harmful?
One of the greatest risks of repeated human interaction with wildlife is habituation—when animals become so accustomed to humans that they no longer see us as a potential threat. While this may seem harmless, habituated animals often lose their natural caution and are more likely to approach boats, vehicles, or people, which increases their chances of injury or harassment.

This exact scenario has been observed in studies with lone, sociable dolphins. Research shows that those who engage in physical contact with humans experienced increased rates of harassment^{9 10}, changes in natural behavior¹¹, and greater vulnerability to boat injuries.^{12 13} One in four manatees is hit by watercraft at least 10 times during their lifetime.¹⁴ Minimizing human interactions may help reduce manatees’ risk of boat collisions.

For all these reasons, it’s best to avoid swimming with manatees. We understand, however, that people may still want to have this experience. If you do, we strongly recommend passive observation only and not touching them under any circumstances. Maintaining a respectful distance and avoiding any actions that alter a manatee’s natural behavior helps ensure they remain wild, safe, and free to live naturally without added risks from human interaction.

References

1. O’Shea, T.J. (1995). Waterborne Recreation and the Florida Manatee. In Knight & Gutzwiller (Eds.), Wildlife and Recreation. Island Press.
2. King, J.M., & Heinen, J.T. (2004). Tourist interactions and overwintering manatee behavior. Biol. Conserv., 117(3), 227–234.
3. Abernathy, J. (1995). Manatee activity and displacement with/without humans. Master’s thesis, Florida Atlantic Univ.
4. Wooding, J. (1997). Manatee-human interactions at Three Sisters Springs. Report to USFWS, Univ. of Florida.
5. Buckingham, C.A., Lefebvre, L.W., Schaefer, J.M., & Kochman, H.I. (1999). Manatee response to boating. Wildl. Soc. Bull., 27(2), 514–522.
6. Slone, D.H., et al. (2023). Effects of conditions and management on manatee movement. J. Wildl. Manage., e22411.
7. Corral, C.T., Szteren, D., & Cassini, M.H. (2018). Pinniped responses to tourism. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 201, 111–116.
8. Peters, K.J., et al. (2013). Swim-with-dolphin tourism effects. Mar. Mammal Sci., 29(4), E484–E497.
9. Samuels, A., & Bejder, L. (2004). Chronic dolphin-human interaction. J. Cetacean Res. Manage., 6(1), 69–77.
10. Vail, C.S. (2016). Dolphin harassment overview. Front. Mar. Sci., 3, 110.
11. Eisfeld, S.M., Simmonds, M.P., & Stansfield, L.R. (2010). Sociable dolphin behavior in England. J. Appl. Anim. Welfare Sci., 13(1), 31–45.
12. Dudzinski, K.M., Frohoff, T.G., & Crane, N.L. (1995). Lone dolphin behavior in Belize. Aquatic Mammals, 21, 149.
13. Nimak-Wood, M., et al. (2011). Solitary striped dolphin in Croatia. Vie et Milieu, 61, 87–93.
14. Bassett, B.L., et al. (2020). Manatee-watercraft interactions via scarring. Endanger. Species Res., 43, 395–408.