Two Florida deputies held a distressed manatee’s head above water for two hours last month after getting calls about a manatee in the Intercoastal Waterway, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a release Tuesday.
Deputy Jill Constant arrived on the scene with a Marine and Environmental Lands Unit deputy after she received a call from a concerned woman, according to the release. They noticed the manatee was struggling to swim during a red tide.
“We’re watching it, and it will not go underwater. It just stayed at the surface with labored breathing,” Constant said.
The mammal was thought to be trying to beach itself on the rocks of the Shell Key Preserve, just 11 miles away from St. Petersburg.
Constant and another deputy took turns holding the manatee’s head above water to prevent it from drowning as they waited for help in the rescue.
The manatee appeared too exhausted to fight back at first, but by the end of the process, it began to thrash around.
“I thought I was going to drown — a martyr for the cause,” Constant said.
FWC believes the sea cow’s distress and exhaustion were likely caused by the effects of toxins produced by red tide, a common term used for a harmful algal bloom. FWC biologists said it’s believed the manatee will make a full recovery.
In the release, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that manatees are gentle, friendly animals that often approach swimmers or boaters. But even if they seek you out, touching them is against the law. So keep your distance, and let the sea cows wade in peace.
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