Avoid Jet Skis (to Protect Birds and Marine Life )
Jet skiing has become a popular way to enjoy time on the water, drawing more people to lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. While it’s a fun sport, jet skis can cause problems for birds and marine life. The noise and speed disrupt their natural behaviours and habitats, which can lead to long-term harm.
Driving a jet ski through water, can also separate mother creatures from their offspring.
If you find someone irresponsibly using a jet ski (driving through wildlife or gulls), report to the police and British Divers Marine Life Rescue, it’s illegal to intentionally disturb any wildlife (including marine wildlife) under UK law.
Read our post on post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside. Don’t walk on sand dunes, to avoid disturbing nests and native wildlife like natterjack toads). Also don’t disturb seals or other marine wildlife.
- In Looe (Cornwall), locals put up warning signs, to protect its Atlantic grey seal population.
- Hundreds of people have objected to the issue of personal water craft licenses in Deben Estuary (Suffolk), which could harm local wildlife.
- In Northern Ireland, things have gone further, with an outright ban on jet skis in some areas, to protect wildlife (after reports of harm and anti-social behaviour).
How Jet Skis Affect Birds and Marine Wildlife
Jet skis may seem harmless, but their impact on wildlife is significant. The noise, speed, and wake created by these watercraft disturb animals in various ways. From interrupting vital communication to damaging fragile habitats, jet skis create challenges that wildlife cannot easily overcome. Here’s a closer look at what happens when jet skis roam near marine and coastal bird life.
Noise Pollution and Stress Responses in Wildlife
The roar of a jet ski engine is hard to ignore, but for marine mammals and birds, it can be terrifying. Loud, sudden noises cause stress and anxiety, making it difficult for animals to go about their daily lives.
For example, dolphins rely on sound to communicate, navigate, and hunt. Noise pollution from jet skis interferes with these vital signals, often causing the dolphins to swim away or change their normal behaviour. This can interrupt feeding or socialising, which matter for their survival.
Similarly, nesting sea birds are sensitive to noise disturbances. When jet skis buzz too close, birds may abandon their nests temporarily or permanently. This leaves eggs or chicks vulnerable to predators or harsh weather conditions. The constant disturbance also raises stress levels in adult birds, affecting their ability to care for their young.
Physical Disruptions and Habitat Damage
Jet skis don’t just make noise. Their speed creates powerful wakes that crash into shorelines and shallow waters, changing the environment in harmful ways. These wakes erode beaches and damage plants that protect the coastline.
Shallow waters near shores often serve as nurseries for young fish and feeding grounds for birds. When wakes stir up sediment and uproot vegetation, these critical habitats get destroyed.
The consequences stretch beyond just the water’s edge:
- Juvenile fish lose shelter and food sources, reducing their chances to grow.
- Nesting birds find fewer safe spots to lay eggs.
- The overall ecosystem weakens, affecting a wide range of species that depend on stable habitats.
Risk of Injury to Marine and Bird Species
Jet skis moving at high speeds increase the danger of collisions with wildlife. Animals such as sea turtles and manatees, which often surface for air, may not see or hear the fast-approaching craft in time to avoid accidents. These collisions can cause severe injuries or even death.
Birds are also at risk. Birds flying low over the water or resting on the surface can get hit or disturbed, causing injuries or forcing them away from vital resting spots.
Some common incidents include:
- Sea turtles with damaged shells from jet ski strikes.
- Manatees suffering wounds or bruises.
- Birds experiencing broken wings or other injuries from sudden encounters.
The danger is real and often goes unnoticed because these accidents happen underwater or in remote areas. Avoiding jet skis near wildlife areas helps reduce these risks and gives animals a chance to thrive without unnecessary harm.
Why Birds Are Especially Vulnerable
Birds that live near coasts and marine habitats depend on quiet, stable environments to breed, feed, and rest. Jet skis disrupt these environments with noise and bursts of movement. When birds face constant disturbances, it affects their behaviour and survival chances in crucial ways. Here’s how jet ski activity directly harms birds in sensitive wildlife areas.
Disruption of Nesting Sites and Breeding Cycles
Nesting birds need peace and stability to hatch and raise their young. Sudden noise and fast-moving jet skis near nesting sites scare birds away. When birds abandon nests, eggs or chicks can get cold or fall prey to predators.
Many shorebirds and seabirds build their nests right on sandy beaches or coastal rocks. These open locations leave eggs and hatchlings exposed. If adult birds keep getting startled, they may leave nests unattended or even abandon them altogether. The constant interruptions lower breeding success, endangering local populations.
In some cases, repeated disturbances can cause birds to stop breeding in certain areas entirely. For species already under pressure, such as terns or oystercatchers, losing nesting sites can impact numbers significantly.
Impacts on Feeding Behaviour and Energy Expenditure
Feeding time is essential for birds to build strength and feed their young. Jet skis moving across feeding grounds push birds into flight. This means they have to, again and again, use up energy flying away rather than eating.
Repeated disturbances cut into feeding efficiency. Birds might only manage short feeding periods before being scared off. Over time, this reduces the amount of food they consume and forces them to use extra energy flying back and forth.
This cycle of interruption wears birds down. When it happens during breeding season, parents may not keep up with the high energy needs of their chicks. Migratory species suffer too, as they need to refuel during stopovers. In essence, jet ski traffic makes feeding stressful and less productive, impacting bird health and survival.
Both the disruption of nesting and feeding show why coastal birds are particularly vulnerable. Protecting quiet, safe areas free from jet ski disturbance helps birds thrive, especially during their most sensitive life stages.
Threats to Sea Turtles and Other Slow-Moving Species
Sea turtles and other slow-moving marine creatures face risks that go beyond noise. Their slower speeds and predictable behaviours make them vulnerable to collisions. Fast jet skis racing through waters where turtles surface to breathe or move can cause serious harm or death.
Nesting beaches also face threats from jet ski activity. Many sea turtle species return to the same sandy beaches each year to lay eggs. This process requires quiet, stable areas free from disturbance. Jet skis near these beaches can cause turtles to abandon their nesting efforts or deter hatchlings as they make their way to the sea.
Other slow-moving creatures, like certain crab species and bottom-dwelling fish, also lose out. The wakes caused by fast jet skis stir up sediments in shallow waters, disturbing food sources and hiding spots. This damage to important habitats reduces survival chances for juvenile marine life that depend on these sheltered areas.
Choosing Wildlife-Friendly Activities
When you want to get out on the water, it’s wise to pick activities that create less noise and disturbance. Instead of jet skis, consider these options, which allow you to connect with nature without putting stress on wildlife:
- Kayaking: Quiet paddling lets you glide close to wildlife without scaring them away. It’s a peaceful way to explore shoreline habitats while moving slowly and gently.
- Paddleboarding: Like kayaking, paddleboarding keeps noise levels low.
- Snorkelling and swimming: These activities let you enjoy marine life below the surface without any engine noise disrupting the environment.
Observing Local Rules and Protected Areas
- Avoid sensitive habitats: Some locations are set aside as breeding or nesting grounds for birds and marine animals. Keeping clear of these zones means giving wildlife space to reproduce and feed without interruption.
- Stick to speed limits: Reduced speeds in certain areas minimise noise and wakes. This lowers stress on animals and reduces shore erosion.
- Heed seasonal restrictions: Many wildlife species have specific breeding seasons when they are more vulnerable. Seasonal bans on motorised craft keep disturbance at its lowest during these critical periods.
Florida’s Actions to Save Manatees
Manatees are beautiful ‘sea cows’ that live in Florida and the Caribbean. But rather than do nothing to stop the many accidents with boats, Save the Manatee Club educates the public to avoid using jet-skis.
Manatees are gentle creatures who have to come up to breathe now and then, and as slow-moving beings, they often end up being run over by jet skis.
The organisation has public awareness materials for people to download and educate boat owners. And gives out free warning signs to Floridian home owners, who live on the waterfront. What a great idea that we could use here, to protect our own marine creatures.
