ST. PETE, Fla. — A manatee that appeared to be suffering from cold stress was rescued on Thursday.
Kierstyn Benjamin, a marine biology student, said she was in the library on USF's downtown St. Pete campus. She said she noticed a manatee that appeared to be in distress.
"I was sitting in the library working on homework and I just saw a little nose pop up in the bay. I wanted to go investigate, and when I went out there, it was just a little manatee, kind of small," said Benjamin.
Benjamin alerted the FWC Wildlife Hotline. She took photos and videos of the manatee. She said rescue teams determined the manatee needed help. Teams used a boat and a net to pull the manatee out of the water.
"It was just comforting to know, the manatee is being taken care of and that it is going to get the help it needs," said Benjamin.
Other students were amazed to see a rescue in action!
"It was just so cool. I was just gasping the entire time, oh, he's real, he's a baby. I was so sad at first, but I knew he was going to be okay so I was reassured," said Jaz Lyons, a student at USF.
Rescue teams said the manatee is at ZooTampa for care.
"In this case, we saw an animal looking pretty small, breathing pretty often, white lesions on it which are indications it was cold stressed," said Andy Garrett, State of Florida's Manatee Rescue Coordinator.
If you see a possibly distressed manatee, please call the Wildlife Alert Hotline (888-404-3922, then press "7"). A trained biologist will be able to assess the manatee's condition and determine the best course of action.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, cold stress is usually observed in smaller manatees during the winter season when the water temperature is less than 68⁰ Fahrenheit. Manatees with cold stress typically have bleaching on their skin, visible abscesses, unresolved sores, a heavy barnacle or algae load, and are underweight.
