Boaters alarmed by speeding in Fort Myers Beach manatee zone

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

A video capturing a boat speeding through a manatee slow speed zone in the Back Bay of Fort Myers Beach has sparked concern among local boaters and environmentalists about the safety of marine life.

Dan Williams, a Fort Myers Beach boater, said, "He's putting the manatee at risk. He's putting his own property at risk. He's going to pay the price either with a big ticket or with a damage from crew."

Williams, who enjoys boating in the area, was disappointed by the footage, which was captured by Salty Sam's Marina.

"As soon as I saw the video, I'm thinking maybe this guy doesn't even know what a manatee is. He could have just bought that boat he lives over in Cape Coral or Fort Myers, and he's out there for one of the first rides in his new fishing boat. It's a reminder for the people who live here to slow down," he said.

The video shows two people on board a boat speeding through the manatee zone, which is designed to protect the animals from boat collisions.

Ranger Rob, an environmentalist with Keep It Wild Inc., explained the dangers posed by speeding boats.

"He's flying. You see how the front of the boat is raised up a little bit. That's called being on plane. That means the boat's going fast enough to not break the surface tension to the water there. He has white water in the front, and there's a big wave behind it," he said.

Ranger Rob further explained that the threat extends beyond manatees to all marine life.

"There's not a lot of space between the surface of the water and the bottom," he said. "These animals will often get hit by their holes of the boats and the propellers. If the boats are going too fast, the animals don't have enough time to react to get out of the way, even in deeper channels like around Fort Myers Beach and around the barrier islands."

To prevent such incidents, Salty Sam's Marina offers a class for all boaters, aiming to educate them on safe boating practices in the area.

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