Yesterday when we saw this manatee hanging out between the boats at about 9:45 am. He looked in distress. We called the Manatee Help Hotline 1-888-404-FWCC twice yesterday. After the first call, a very nice guy from Fish and Wildlife came in a boat 4 or 5 hours later. I was told he was down South. He said the Manatee shouldn't be hanging around the surface like that, he called someone who said the breathing was timing okay at about 3 minutes. The soonest they could come back to check on the Manatee was Friday -- 3 days? Some quick service. The Manatee Slowline I would call it.
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| It looked likes a piece of tape on the Manatee's back. When the Manatee took a breath it would swell up in that area. |
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| It was breathing. The Manatee was about 8 feet long. |
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| It was hardly moving, but then they aren't exactly greyhounds of the sea. It shouldn't be this far out of the water. I was told that what looked like white tape is actually boat scarring. |
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| This is near dusk, about 7 hours later. The Manatee was so still I thought it was dead, just floating in the middle of the pond. The Manatee was taking breaths not that often. I went 1/2 an hour before this one and it was near the seawall, it was taking breaths every 30 to 60 seconds, which I am told is not good. This was one big manatee, as long as the width of the boats. |
When I called Fish and Wildlife at about 5:30 or 6 pm I started talking and the girl said, don't go near Manatees before I had a chance to say anything. Geez, I was standing at a seawall looking down at it. What a putz she was. You have to LISTEN first girl before you lecture someone calling for help.
I am going now to take a picture now and see how (Lets call him Smokey, the same name as my virtural dog/cat) Smokey is doing. I hope Smokey is gone, foraging in deeper water.
Morale of this story: There isn't much you can do to help with a sea mammal weighing almost a ton. I am not ragging on Fish and Wildlife. It is a big area to patrol.
Just got back: He is gone this morning. Goodbye Smokey, I hope it wasn't just the tide that took you away.
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| Normal Manatee, what looked like tape on Smokey is boat propeller scarring (see the side of this Manatee). |
14 comments:
Another option is
http://www.dolphins.org/manatee_rescue?aid=2p
+1 (305) 289-1121
Yes, those lines are scars from boats. :(
We don't insult the blogger. Read the instructions -- you are pretty ignorant, as is the person who answers your calls.
I am told F&W are going out today to try to find the Manatee. To rescue it.
Maybe your blog lit a fire under them. Thank you.
I am not insulting you for helping the manatee. I am insulting you for your assumption that F&W isn't doing anything to help this manatee.
I never made that assumption I said they are slow. And they are slow. That is a fact. They might be short staffed but they are slow.
You are making the assumptions F&W employee. How obvious can you get.
This isn't about the helping agency this is about a manatee in distress. Thank you Geniusofdespair. And get a thicker skin you bureaucrat.
We went up and down the canal in the inter-coastal both North and South --- and cannot find smokey
It looks like the boat strike caused broken ribs, a hole in its lung and air is trapped in its chest cavity. I would guess if not found, this manatee will not survive long.
So sad. Thank you for documenting this and for caring so much.
Any news on Smokey from F&W today?
Haven't heard a word.
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