Long before Jimmy Buffett became widely associated with island music, boats and Florida’s coastal lifestyle, he had begun using his public profile for a very different cause. Manatees were not always the familiar conservation symbol they are today. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, awareness of the animals and the dangers they faced was still growing, particularly as boat traffic increased across Florida’s waterways. Buffett became involved with the people trying to change that. What began with an early encounter with a manatee developed into years of campaigning, fundraising and public education, helping bring the animals into the view of a much larger audience.
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