One of the most memorable experiences you can have while paddleboarding on Biscayne Bay is encountering a Florida manatee.
These gentle marine mammals are regular visitors to the waters around Miami, and because a paddleboard is quiet and sits close to the water, SUP paddlers sometimes get an incredible view of them swimming, feeding or simply coming to the surface for air.
But seeing a manatee from your paddleboard comes with an important responsibility: enjoy the encounter without interfering with the animal.
When Is Manatee Season in Miami?
Manatees can be found in South Florida throughout the year, but their movements become especially noticeable as temperatures begin to change.
Florida manatees need access to water warmer than approximately 68Β°F during prolonged cold weather. As temperatures drop, they travel toward warmer areas such as springs, canals and power-plant discharge areas.
In Miami-Dade County, the winter manatee season is generally recognized as November 15 through April 30 for certain local protections. During this period, designated areas within Biscayne Canal, Little River and the Coral Gables Waterway have additional seasonal restrictions.
On Biscayne Bay, however, responsible manatee behavior should be practiced year-round.
Why Paddleboarders Need to Be Especially Careful
A SUP allows you to move quietly through shallow areas, seagrass beds and calm coastal waters where manatees may travel, feed or rest.
That creates wonderful opportunities to see wildlife, but being on a nonmotorized paddleboard does not exempt you from manatee protection laws. Florida wildlife officials specifically state that people using paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and other paddle craft must follow laws protecting manatees.
A simple rule I teach paddlers is:
Let the manatee control the encounter.
If you have to paddle toward the manatee to get closer, you are doing the wrong thing.
What Should You Do When You See a Manatee From Your SUP?
Stop paddling aggressively and give the animal plenty of room. Observe quietly and allow the manatee to continue whatever it was doing before you arrived.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends that paddlers keep their distance and limit viewing time. If a manatee changes its natural behavior because of your presence, you are too close and should move away.
Never chase a manatee with your paddleboard to get a better photograph or video.
And if one swims toward you?
Stay calm and let it decide where it wants to go.
Do not block its path or maneuver your board to keep the animal next to you.
Look, But Don't Touch
This is probably the most important rule.
Manatees are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act and Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. It is illegal to harass, harm, pursue, annoy or molest them.
That means paddlers should never:
- Touch or pet a manatee
- Chase or follow one
- Feed a manatee
- Give a manatee fresh water
- Block its path
- Separate a mother and calf
- Disturb a resting manatee
- Paddle into a group or mating herd
- Attempt to pose with or hold a manatee for a photograph
Even when a curious manatee approaches your paddleboard, the best interaction is passive observation.
Enjoy the moment.
Learn to Spot Manatees Before You Reach Them
One advantage of standing on a paddleboard is your elevated view of the water.
Polarized sunglasses can make it much easier to see beneath the surface. Look for a nose briefly breaking the water or large circular disturbances sometimes called a manatee "footprint," which can indicate an animal swimming below the surface.
Learning to recognize these signs gives you time to slow down and avoid paddling directly over the animal.
This is particularly important around shallow seagrass areas, where manatees may be feeding.
SUP Lessons Are Also About Learning to Share the Water
Learning to paddleboard isn't only about standing on a board and learning the forward stroke.
During my SUP lessons on Biscayne Bay, I also teach students how to become comfortable and responsible participants on our waterways.
That includes learning how to control and maneuver your board, understanding your surroundings, recognizing boat traffic, respecting marine life and knowing what to do when you encounter animals such as manatees, dolphins, rays and sea turtles.
Good board control becomes especially important around wildlife. A paddler who knows how to stop, turn and maneuver efficiently is much better prepared to give an animal space without panicking or falling into the water.
Your First Manatee Encounter Is Something You'll Remember
I've had many beautiful wildlife encounters while paddling Biscayne Bay, and seeing a manatee quietly swimming beneath your paddleboard never gets old.
For many of my SUP students, spotting a manatee or dolphin becomes one of the highlights of their lesson.
But the goal isn't to paddle to the wildlife.
The goal is to learn how to paddle well enough, and respectfully enough, that you can enjoy Biscayne Bay and everything that naturally lives there.
See them. Appreciate them. Give them space.
That's how we get to enjoy these incredible encounters while helping protect the animals that make Biscayne BayΒ such a special place to paddle.
