News

Manatees On The Mend

By Cora Berchem, Director of Multimedia and Manatee Research Associate

Winter has been very busy with many manatee rescues and returns to their natural habitat for both us and our partners in the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) all across Florida. In late December, we assisted with the rescue of a small orphaned calf at Blue Spring. We had been monitoring the little female calf for a few weeks to see if she would latch on to another mother manatee, but unfortunately her body condition was declining, and she was not adopted by another mom, warranting a rescue. She is currently recuperating at SeaWorld Orlando—an MRP partner—and we hear that she is doing well and has been named Poplin.

February started to get very busy with a number of returns all over the state, including at the TECO power plant in Apollo Beach, Crystal River, and Blue Spring. We assisted with several of the returns at Blue Spring. All returned manatees are outfitted with a satellite tracking device, so researchers can monitor them to make sure they are adjusting well to life in the wild. On that note, all the manatees we helped rescue and return at Blue Spring over the last several years returned this winter season, and everyone is looking good! We were particularly happy to welcome back Mary Kate and Tink Tink, as our team had helped to hoop-net them as little orphans in the spring run and returned them in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Both have grown into healthy-looking subadults, and we can’t wait for them to have calves of their own one day.

This is also a good reminder of the importance of satellite tracking devices for these “naïve” manatees who did not have a chance to learn from a mom. The tracking devices allow researchers to monitor them for the first year of their life in the wild to make sure they adapt and do all the things wild manatees need to do—feed, socialize, and come back to the spring for warm water. The devices have several breakaway points, so should they get tangled on anything, they will break off. We want to remind everyone to stay clear of the tracking devices and observe all manatees, especially tagged ones, from a distance.

Over the summer, we assisted with the rescue of a manatee in Oak Hill, on Florida’s east coast. Calabazza, as she was later named, was found floating high in the water after she had suffered a boat strike. After six months in rehabilitation at SeaWorld, we assisted with her return to her natural habitat on the coast in early January. At almost 1,500 pounds, she was a big girl, and it took a large crew to lift her out of the transport truck and carry her on a stretcher to the water, where she eagerly swam off.