FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — People along Fort Myers Beach acted quickly when they saw a manatee floating on the water Saturday morning.
In a Facebook post, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office says people called to tell them the manatee appeared to be in distress. LCSO's Marine Unit teamed up with Florida Fish and Wildlife biologists to rescue the sea cow.
Biologists believed the manatee had suffered an internal injury, although they didn't reveal exactly where in the body. That injury caused her to stay on the surface of the water rather than going under and swimming away.
The rescue team slowly pulled the 1,200-pound, 10-foot manatee toward their boat. LCSO says the animal will recover at ZooTampa.
How Do Manatees Get Hurt?
Unfortunately, many manatees turn up injured or killed on Florida's waterways. FWC has tracked 429 manatee deaths this year as of August 28. FWC says a few causes of death and injury are more common than others.
- Perinatal: This term refers to a manatee less than five feet long that was not hurt or killed by a human-related cause. FWC says 79 of these animals have died in 2020, making it the leading cause of death for the year.
- Watercraft: Boats, especially those with propellers, have been known to hit manatees in open waters. FWC reports 56 deaths by propeller or boat impact so far this year, which serves as a reminder to watch out whenever you're out boating.
- Cold stress: Manatees migrate to warmer waters because they're warm-blooded and need water temperatures of 68 degrees or higher to survive. Manatees exposed to cold waters for long periods of time can suffer "cold stress," which is similar to hypothermia or frostbite in humans. According to FWC, at least 39 manatees have died of cold stress this year in Florida.
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