Manatee Awareness Month: Where to Spot Manatees at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

November is Manatee Awareness Month, and the Bureau of Land Management is highlighting a spot right in Jupiter: the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area.

In a Nov. 3 post, the BLM said the 120-acre site is the only BLM-managed land in the country where manatees are regularly seen. It sits where the Indian River Lagoon meets the Loxahatchee River, with mangroves, tropical hammocks and estuary waters.

Where to look

Manatees can sometimes be seen from the site's shorelines, docks and observation areas. Watch for them surfacing for air, grazing on underwater plants or resting under docks.

How to watch responsibly

• Give them space. Don't chase, touch or feed manatees, and don't give them water.
• Be quiet and patient so they can behave naturally.
• Pick up trash and fishing line to keep the water clean.
• On a boat, follow posted speed zones and go slow anywhere manatees may be.

If you see an injured, stranded or distressed manatee, report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Shoreline work

The BLM is also working on a shoreline stabilization project at the site to reduce erosion, improve water quality and restore habitat. Plans include native plantings, in-water wave breaks, artificial reefs, retaining walls and better shoreline access. Volunteers, interns and staff have already planted thousands of native plants and mangroves.

Source: Bureau of Land Management.