Sick sea creature not often found in NC is now recovering 650 miles away, officials say
Manatees are not a common sight 60 miles inland in North Carolina, so something was clearly wrong when one nearly 9 feet long and weighing 855 pounds showed up in a murky canal near Greenville.
Not only was it far from the coast, but it also was lingering too long in a region where temperatures fall to toxic levels in the winter.
“The manatee, first reported in late October 2024 to the North Carolina stranding network, had been observed in distress, including listing in shallow waters,” manatee experts at SeaWorld Orlando noted in a Nov. 19 news release.
“Sporadic sightings over the past weeks, including in the Pamlico and Tar rivers, prompted an urgent response. With ambient water temperatures in the low 60s Fahrenheit, the manatee’s condition required immediate intervention.”
That intervention happened Nov. 18 when it resurfaced a second time in a canal managed by Greenville Utilities Commission near the Tar River, SeaWorld Orlando said.
A team was quickly assembled to take action, including members of SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team, the Clearwater (Florida) Marine Aquarium Research Institute and North Carolina Aquariums.
The rescuers waded into the waist-deep canal, herded the manatee against the bank and gently wrapped it in a net.
It was then pulled ashore to a waiting transport truck for a 650-mile trip south to SeaWorld Orlando, home to the country’s “largest manatee critical care facility.”
The rescue came just days before temperatures were forecast to fall into the 30s in the Greenville area.
“Manatees are particularly vulnerable to cold stress when water temperatures drop below 68°F. Prolonged exposure to cold can lead to life-threatening health issues,” SeaWorld Orlando officials said.
“The timely intervention of the rescue teams ensures the manatee will receive the critical care needed for recovery. The manatee also had a healing watercraft-related injury to its right side.”
Manatees are an imperiled species protected under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports. North Carolina is considered their northernmost range, but “a few travel as far north as Massachusetts during warm months,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Sick sea creature not often found in NC is now recovering 650 miles away, officials say."