Scientists are preparing to save the rare manatee in cold waters

• The manatee has been spotted near Massachusetts for the first time in many years.
• Scientists are tracking the manatee's location to determine the need for rescue.
• This species typically lives in warmer waters, which puts the manatee at risk.

Boston — Recently, a manatee was spotted near the coast of Massachusetts for the first time in almost a decade. Scientists are tracking its location to determine whether it needs rescuing, especially since it is stranded in cold water or lacks sufficient food.

This species, which usually inhabits warmer waters of the southern part of the Mexican coast, was first sighted on July 26 near the southern shore of Cape Cod in the Nantucket Sound. Resident Jennifer Sullivan recorded a video showing the manatee swimming alongside kayakers in the area, surrounded by marine grasses.

Sullivan noted that the manatee, which was approximately long and wide, "was just floating in the grass, swimming so peacefully, as long as it could." She also expressed concern about how gracefully this creature looks.

Within a few days, the manatee was spotted in the waters of Matapoisett. Witnesses who found it on the shores returned it to the water, reported Erin Burke, head of the fish protection program at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

Since then, the manatee has not been observed, but the team from the International Fund for Animal Welfare is ready to rescue it if necessary.

This species usually does not swim north of Cape Hatteras, but if a manatee remains in cold water for too long, it can become hypothermic or die, noted research colleague Dr. Nadine Lisyak from the New England aquarium.

In addition, the manatee is herbivorous and feeds on seagrasses and mangroves, which are usually not found in New England.

Lisyak also emphasized that it is unknown how and why the manatee traveled so far north. It may have followed the warm current of the Gulf Stream from Florida to New England.

Observations of rare manatees in New England are not unprecedented. In 2008 and 2009, different manatees were spotted in the Cape Cod bays, becoming the most well-known. They were rescued, but one specimen was transported to Florida for rehabilitation, where it survived and lived until 2018.

In 2016, a manatee was spotted near the shores of Falmouth, and in 2023 one of them was observed in Rhode Island.

Those who see the manatee are asked to secure its GPS coordinates and report it to the hotline for rescue (508) 743-9548.

Tags: USA