On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 14:43:15 GMT, dcg wrote:

Manatees do not swim in less than 3 feet of water and boaters quickly
learn where they are most likely to be: in warm, deep water with lots
of grass. We learn to avoid them.

I'll have to disagree with your assumpition that boaters will learn to
avoid them. When I'm fishing the Tampa Bay area grass flats I
regularly watch boat after boat plow through obvious shoal areas and
grass flats. The water can be glassy and clear, with the grass flats
and sand bars clearly visible, and yahoo's come one after another
plowing right through.

Maybe some boaters will learn to avoid the manatees, but certainly not
all.

bb