Boaters: slow down
Neighbors of San Carlos Island resident Monica Lynn know she loves manatees and dolphins.
So when a marine-looking shape was spotted floating in Hurricane Pass on April 4, her neighbors called her to let her know.
Lynn got in her kayak to investigate, and found it was a dead manatee, belly up and bloated. She was able to call a 24/7 wildlife hotline with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which sent a biologist out to collect the body.
FWC has a Marine Mammal Pathology Lab dedicated to studying marine life. The body was taken to Clearwater for examination to determine a cause of death.
“The manatee died from an acute injury from a boat,” said Martine Dewit, a veterinarian with the lab.
Although the female manatee’s surface wounds were minimal, it died from perforated internal organs, kidney and rib trauma.
While examining the manatee, Dewit said the lab discovered the female had been lactating. Based on a uterine examination, the calf wasn’t very young. Calves stay with their mothers for around two years and continue to nurse as long as they are with their mothers, Dewit said.
“If the calf survived and in its second year, it could live on its own. But that’s speculation,” she said.
Manatees were moved from the endangered list to the threatened list, but the animal is still being monitored and protected. They’ve got virtually no natural predators; human influence is a major cause of death for the slow-moving mammals.
Dewit said people need to remember to obey the speed zones on Florida’s waterways to prevent killing manatees from the impact.
“Unfortunately it’s part of the environment where manatees and boats need to use the same waterways,” she said.
Manatees stay mostly under water, and stick just the top of their nose out of the water to breathe. The movement of their paddle-like tail also leaves a “footprint” or visible disturbance on the surface of the water.
Besides slowing down, Dewit said it helps to wear polarized glasses so boaters can see manatees more easily in the water.
If someone sees an injured or dead manatee, they can call the toll-free wildlife hotline at 1-888-404-3922. A biologist will respond on site to address the issue.
“A lot of people are aware, but it’s always good to get that number out,” Dewit said.
Lynn knew to call the hotline.
“I just hope that by sharing ‘Jane Doe’s’ story, that boaters and jetskis will slow down out of respect for the wildlife that call our waters home,” she said. “(The manatee) life mattered, as did her surviving, or not, calf’s.”