Lee County again leads the state in manatee fatalities with 104 reported deaths, more than double any other county in the state, according to a News Service of Florida report.
Overall 489 manatees have died this year in Florida as of October 27th, according to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
That number is well behind last year's pace, when 727 manatees had died at this point.
There have been 79 manatee deaths caused by watercraft strikes, which is ahead of last year's pace.
Save The Manatee Club biologist TJ Fridrick says as the weather gets colder, it's important to look out for sea cows in Florida waterways and to give them space.
In total, 800 manatees died last year.
That followed a record 11 hundred sea cow deaths in Florida waters in 2021, many because of starvation related to a lack of seagrass to eat.
Federal wildlife officials said last month they will consider whether manatees should be classified as an endangered species.