Thread: Manatees, Sea Turtles in Trouble

Exposure to water temperatures below 68 degrees for long periods can cause a condition called manatee cold-stress syndrome, which can result in death.

When water temperatures drop, manatees gather in warm-water habitats, such as discharge canals at power plants, canal systems or springs. The FWC asks boaters to be extra vigilant in watching for manatees in shallow waters near the coast, both inland and coastal, and obey all posted manatee speed zone signs

To report a dead or distressed manatee, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Cold weather also can affect sea turtles. When the water temperature drops, stunned sea turtles may float listlessly in the water or wash onto shore. Although these turtles may appear to be dead, they are often still alive. It is important to report these turtles to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline as soon as possible.

The FWC, working with the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, recovered more than 250 cold-stunned sea turtles in Mosquito Lagoon in Brevard County this past week. Sea turtle rehabilitation facilities throughout the state will house these animals until they can be released when temperatures warm.

If you see a Sea Turtle floating at or near the surface, appearing lifeless, it may be just stunned. If you encounter a lifeless appearing turtle, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

The local news channel is reporting that there have been two manatee deaths.

For several days now, a large numbe of manatees have been gathered in a narrow canal in the Satellite Beach area. They have eaten all the vegetation in the canal already. The have also munched the grass on the bank at the edge, and because of that, portions of the bank could collapse.

People are showing up to see them. But, there are yellow crime scene tapes to keep foot traffic from the banks edge, because of the danger of collapse.

Manatee protection laws - no touching, feeding, or harassing in any way - are being very strictly enforced. Penalties include fines of as much as $500.00 and /or jail time.

Here is more about the Manaatees, Sea Turtles, and other wildlife, from a story I read in Florida Today, an wat I ave seen / eard on te news:



Some of ote folks at NASA are actively participayting in te Sea Turtle rescues. Over 330 ave been rescued in Central Florida So Far..


Snook and other subtropical fish are going belly-up in the Brevard County's northernmost waters, with some dying as their metabolism slowed and they stopped eating.


Good Samaritans are bringing in dozens of migratory pelicans, gulls and terns to a local wildlife hospital to recover from exhaustion and malnutrition wrought by the cold.
So far, the turtles have suffered the most.

"When it gets that cold, they just stop functioning. They're almost comatose," said Dorn Whitmore, a ranger at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

And, of course, the Manatees .. they are gathering at power plants, and any other places where warm water is discharged into the waterways in a struggle for survival.

I hope the weather warms up soon before it's too late.

It has really been bad weather in Florida for humans and animals.

Hereis a link to another story about the Manatees in the calan near here:

100 Manatees Crowd Into Brevard Canal For Warmth - News Story - WFTV Orlando

Fish and Wildlife officials said they have recovered four dead manatees in Brevard County.
They believe it's related to the cold waters, but won't officially know until tests are completed.

Is it any warmer there now? I hope so.

Some 50 sea cows had gathered to the warm waters of the canal off DeSoto Parkway to escape the chilly Indian River during Florida’s cold snap.
But the canal waters receded to the point where about 30 of the manatees could not swim back out.
Workers used a large backhoe to dredge the canal to make it deeper so the manatees could escape.
“Now the rain stopped, the water levels dropped, the food supply is gone. So we are basically trying to get them out of the canal,” said Lenny Salzberg, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
After the dredging, the manatees were able to filter out on their own and return to the river.