Manatees are large, plant-eating mammals that live in water and come to the surface to breathe air. They have rounded bodies, two front flippers and a broad, paddle-shaped tail.

They can visit Louisiana waters as part of their warm-season range. If you notice a possible manatee, watch from your existing position, leave uncertain sightings unidentified and leave the animal room to continue. A sighting doesn't need to become a pursuit for a closer look.

Why would a manatee be here?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manatee profile describes Florida manatees ranging west through Gulf coastal waters during warmer periods.

They can use fresh water, seawater and brackish water, which is a mixture of the two. Seeing an animal in a lake or canal doesn't rule out a manatee just because you're away from an open beach.

Manatees are sensitive to prolonged cold. The seasonal pattern helps explain their wider movements, but it doesn't give you a reliable time and place for a Louisiana viewing appointment.

Look for the whole animal

A rounded back alone can be hard to interpret in muddy water. Look for the front flippers, broad paddle-shaped tail and overall body shape when those parts become visible. Keep unseen features marked as unknown. A distant dark shape may remain unidentified; the dolphin guide introduces a different mammal you might be comparing it with.

Try noting which way the animal travels and how much you can see when it surfaces. For example, a rounded back briefly breaking the surface may leave the tail and flippers unseen. Record those features as unknown rather than decide the species from the back alone. Use a camera zoom if you have one, then let the animal disappear without following it.

Going underwater doesn't show that the animal has left. Tell the boat operator where and when you last saw it, using a direction or nearby landmark you can both recognize. Distinguish ‘last seen there’ from ‘still visible there’. Leave operating decisions to the person controlling the boat and follow posted instructions.

Give it room to travel and breathe

Watercraft collisions and fishing-gear entanglement are among the threats described by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Maintain a lookout, follow posted boating instructions and let the operator concentrate on the boat.

Don't feed, touch or offer fresh water to a wild manatee. A hose at a dock may seem kind, but drawing the animal toward people and boats changes the encounter.

From a kayak or bank, leave its route open. Keep companions from surrounding it for a better angle, and manage fishing line so the animal isn't drawn into the activity. Share what you saw without gathering the group around the animal; if someone missed it, that isn't a reason to follow it or offer food or water.

If something looks wrong

Use LDWF's wildlife reporting guidance for an animal that appears injured, entangled or stranded. Useful details include:

  • The named water, access point or nearby landmark, and time.
  • Whether it is still visible, or its last-seen position and direction.
  • Any visible injury, attached line or other concern.
  • A photograph taken without approaching.

Separate what you observed from what you suspect. For example, describe visible attached line and the last-seen position rather than diagnose an injury you cannot see. If the animal moves while you are seeking guidance, update its last-seen time and direction without approaching to maintain a view.

Follow the responder's directions rather than trying to free, tow or move the animal yourself.

For an ordinary sighting, keep the location, time and visible features in your notes, including what remained uncertain. Check any later identification against that record rather than fill gaps from memory. A photograph is optional; let the animal continue without following it.