Two Manatees Rescued

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute were busy Thursday rescuing two injured manatees from the east and west coasts.  One manatee was rescued in Palm Beach County; the other was rescued in Pinellas County.

FWC biologists and local law enforcement agencies rescued an 8-foot male manatee with watercraft-related injuries from a discharge canal at the Florida Power and Light power plant in Riviera Beach in Palm Beach County.  Biologists transported the manatee to Miami Seaquarium for treatment and rehabilitation.

In St. Petersburg, FWC biologists rescued a juvenile female manatee from a canal. Rescuers pulled the nearly 7-foot female manatee from the 53-degree water. Prolonged exposure to water of that temperature can lead to cold-stress syndrome and ultimately death in manatees. Biologists took the manatee to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.

To report a dead or distressed manatee, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).