Thursday, May 01, 2014

Did I See a Manatee In the Throes of Death Yesterday? By Geniusofdespair

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.
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.
It was breathing. The Manatee was about 8 feet long.
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.

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.

Normal Manatee, what looked like tape on Smokey is boat propeller scarring (see the side of this Manatee).

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another option is

http://www.dolphins.org/manatee_rescue?aid=2p

+1 (305) 289-1121

Anonymous said...

Yes, those lines are scars from boats. :(

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Geniusofdespair said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Maybe your blog lit a fire under them. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

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.

Geniusofdespair said...

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.

Anonymous said...

You are making the assumptions F&W employee. How obvious can you get.

Anonymous said...

This isn't about the helping agency this is about a manatee in distress. Thank you Geniusofdespair. And get a thicker skin you bureaucrat.

Geniusofdespair said...

We went up and down the canal in the inter-coastal both North and South --- and cannot find smokey

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

So sad. Thank you for documenting this and for caring so much.

Anonymous said...

Any news on Smokey from F&W today?

Geniusofdespair said...

Haven't heard a word.