Cold-stressed manatee rescued from St. Petersburg waters
A USF marine biology student alerted FWC officials to a cold-stressed manatee in the Bayboro Harbor.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A manatee that appeared to be suffering from cold stress was rescued from the water near downtown St. Petersburg Thursday afternoon.
Marine biology student Kierstyn Benjamin said she was doing homework in the library at the USF downtown St. Pete campus when she noticed the manatee pop its head out of the water. She said she went outside to get a closer look and said she noticed the animal swimming alone in Bayboro Harbor, and that it was fairly small.
Benjamin said she knew from her studies that this wasn’t normal and she called Florida Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Alert Hotline.
"It was really inspiring to know that just that little phone call of just saying, ‘hey, I spotted something unusual,’ just how big of an impact it can have," Benjamin said.
FWC has an office at the USF St. Pete campus and quickly responded.
SkyFOX flew overhead at crews circled the area until they were able to capture the male manatee in a net and pull him onto their boat.
Crews gather a manatee in distress in the Bayboro Harbor
Then they took the animal to land for evaluation.
According to Andy Garrett, Florida’s Manatee Rescue Coordinator, they were able to use pictures and videos that Benjamin sent them to diagnose the animal before they got there. The manatee, he said, has cold stress, which can happen when the water temperature is less than 68 degrees.
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Garrett said the manatee is lethargic, underweight and has lesions from the cold.
"They have fat layers, but they’re not like blubber on a seal or a dolphin, so they don’t keep them warm, so they’re subjected to the cold, so this time of year a lot of animals need to be near warm water to stay warm … so having an animal over in Bayboro, and we’ve seen this happen before over the past couple of years where these smaller animals don’t quite make it and get these lesions on them from the cold," Garrett said.
Cold-stressed manatee being rescued from Bayboro Harbor.
Manatees can be found throughout Florida’s waterways during the summer months, but when the water temperature dips below 68 degrees, they seek out Florida’s warm water areas.
According to FWC, prolonged exposure to lower water temperatures can cause manatees to lose body heat and not digest their food properly, which can lead to a condition classified as "cold stress" which can be deadly.
READ: Manatee deaths lower than last year, but experts warn 2023 could be another deadly year for sea cows
Garrett said if Benjamin hadn’t called and they didn’t make it out there, the manatee could’ve died. A crowd gathered around the water to watch and they cheered as the FWC crew rescued the manatee.
They took the manatee to ZooTampa’s manatee conservation for rehabilitation. Garrett said his rehab could take anywhere from days to weeks to months. They’ll need to evaluate him before they know.
Both Garrett and Benjamin said if you see an animal that’s injured or something just doesn’t look right, call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.