TAMPA, Fla. — A manatee was rescued in the Big Bend of Florida early last week and transported to Tampa to be rehabilitated.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials teamed up with staff from Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the University of Florida and ZooTampa to save the 500-pound sea cow named Gully entrapped in a small pond. The two-year-old male manatee was found by a local hunter who reported him.
A video from the aquarium shows rescuers hoisting the manatee out of the water using a net and moving him into a large truck. Aquarium officials said in a post that the animal was likely displaced by Hurricane Helene's storm surge and became stranded. They said he was showing signs of malnutrition but was transported to ZooTampa for evaluation and treatment.
ZooTampa officials said in a statement that he was named Gully as a reference to the book "Gulliver's Travels" due to the distance he traveled before being rescued. Gully traveled nearly a mile and a half away from open water due to the significant storm surge flooding, the statement read.
"Manatees that are displaced by storm surge waters often remain in unusual locations with limited food sources after the surge recedes," officials said.
ZooTampa officials said they have the most manatees ever to date with 27. Their "high season" of manatees needing rescue is right around the corner when the weather starts getting colder.
The rescue happened just as Manatee Awareness Month started. Temperatures in the state are starting to drop, which means manatees are making their way to Florida springs, power plant discharge areas and other warm-water sites. This includes the TECO power plant right here in the Tampa Bay area.
Officials are reminding boaters to beware of the gentle giants as they start their travels.
"Boat strikes are a major threat to Florida manatees," the agency's website reads. "FWC law enforcement officers patrol state waters, informing boaters of seasonal manatee speed zones and taking appropriate enforcement actions when necessary."
Officials recommend boaters wear polarized glasses to better spot them. They also recommend going slow and abiding by all Manatee Protection Zones.
If you see an injured, distressed, sick or dead manatee, you are asked to report it to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). You should not try to physically handle a manatee as you could harm the animal or yourself.