SOUTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A manatee was rescued in Marathon on Thursday after being injured by what’s believed to be a boat strike — all while a brush fire in the area made the effort even more challenging.
The Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team, along with help from Aquarium Encounters, responded to a canal in the Coco Plum area, where they found the roughly nine-foot male manatee.
“Unfortunately, this manatee was floating at the surface and could not submerge, and that usually means that he has been hit by a boat,” said Rita Irwin, president and CEO of the Dolphin Research Center.
Experts said the manatee was suffering from pneumothorax, a condition that causes air to build up around the lungs, making the animal dangerously buoyant and increasing the risk of another boat strike.
“We needed to respond right away to this animal; it needed rescue,” said Dr. Scott Gearhart, medical director at the Dolphin Research Center.
Normally, rescued manatees are transported to a rehabilitation center in Central Florida with help from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, but an obstacle stood in the way.
“Because of the fire on the 18-mile stretch, and Card Sound Road being closed, Florida Fish and Wildlife was not going to be able to come and move the manatee to a place that it could receive medical care,” said Irwin.
The Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team got into the water and used a net to haul out the injured marine mammal, with a little bit of coaxing required.
“We were able to convince the animal to move towards our net, and then a crew of approximately 16 people had to pull this net onto the ground,” said Irwin.
It was an impressive feat, given the manatee’s weight of about 1,000 pounds.
A U-Haul needed to transport the sea cow. A short drive later, it was in the waters of a medical pool at the Dolphon Research Center, where it spent the night.
Veterinarians and medical staff kept a close eye on the creature overnight at the center, where it stabilized.
The manatee is now on the road to recovery, with a release in a familiar spot hopefully in its future.
“Oh, we always try to return a manatee to where they were rescued. We believe that the manatee knows that area, so many times after what usually is months or sometimes years of rehab, they are brought back to exactly where we found them,” said Irwin, “and it’s a joyous day that we can release a manatee back to their natural habitat.”
This was the first time that the Dolphin Research Center, the only licensed manatee rescue team in the Florida Keys, brought a manatee to their facility, but the team has been responding to calls like this for 40 years.
“Everybody was just phenomenal in being able to handle the animal, transport it to the pool and get it in the pool, and it’s a success story,” said Gearhart.
The injured manatee will continue its rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando before it is brought back to South Florida waters.
Officials remind the public: if you see a manatee in distress, don’t approach or get in the water. Instead, call 1-888-404-FWCC to report it so trained rescuers can help.
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