Boaters in destin florida are being asked to slow down this month as a new educational campaign, Boaters For Turtles, rolls out in local waters. The message is simple and direct: go slow for those below.

The campaign comes as a 2025 study led by Florida State University researchers found that 1 in 4 sea turtles found dead or injured in Florida were hit by a boat, and that 98% of turtles struck by a boat do not survive. Sea turtles are often difficult or impossible to see from the surface, and most strikes happen just below the waterline, where boaters may not realize the danger until it is too late.

Boaters For Turtles is partnering with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources to push the message at the place it can matter most: the ramp. Educational signs with QR codes are being installed this month at Liza Jackson Park, Marler Park on Okaloosa Island and Joe’s Bayou in the City of Destin Government area. Participating boat rental companies will also share campaign information with customers before they head out on the water.

The effort is aimed at waters where turtle habitat overlaps with recreational boating, especially high-traffic areas such as passes and inlets. The voluntary sea turtle protection zone includes Destin Harbor, East Pass and the area around Crab Island, all places where boats and turtles are likely to cross paths.

Dr. Katie Abrams said surveys of over 500 boaters showed most were already willing to change their behavior when they understood the risk. “From our surveys of over 500 boaters, we were reminded of how much boaters care,” she said. She added that across Destin, St. Pete and Sarasota, most said they would slow down where turtles are at risk, and that they needed signs at the ramp to remind them. “This campaign meets people where that goodwill already exists,” Abrams said.

The message behind the campaign is not complicated, but the stakes are. Sea turtles hit by boats are rarely pulled back from the injury, and the new signs and rentals outreach are meant to catch boaters before they leave shore, not after a strike has already happened. In a place where speed and shallow water can mix with fragile habitat, the campaign’s success will depend on whether more boaters take the warning literally and keep their distance.