The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), along with other state and local law enforcement agencies, will patrol county waterways on February 19 as part of Operation Mermaid, a large-scale effort to remind boaters to slow down for migrating manatees. The PBSO Volunteer’s Marine Unit will join the effort.
In addition to PBSO Marine Units and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), law enforcement agencies from Tequesta, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Lantana, Boynton Beach, and Boca Raton will participate.
Operation Mermaid takes its name from the popular belief that ancient mariners who wrote about observing mermaids may have actually spotted manatees. During the winter months, manatee populations congregate in warm water locations throughout South Florida. As water temperatures warm up, many manatees move north to areas with more seagrass.
To protect the mammals during their migration, seasonal speed zones are imposed on some of the busier waterways. In Palm Beach County, manatee season runs from mid-November through March 31. In January, scientists counted approximately 500 manatees in Palm Beach County and more than 1,200 in Broward County.
# # #
Government
