Manatees are protected by the marine mammal act and should never be approached in a way to harass the animal. All encounters should be initiated by the manatee. We found a nice documentary only that discusses some of the problems with manatee encounters.
In theis short video filmmaker Tracy Colson documents the ever increasing pressure
manatees face each winter as tourists flock to Crystal River, Florida,
for an opportunity to swim with the manatees.