Manatee rescued from Orange River in Lee County; FWC says rescues this season are 'above average'

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Wildlife officials rescued another manatee from the Orange River Tuesday afternoon, marking the fourth rescue WINK News has witnessed in the last week.

The sub-adult male manatee was brought to Orange Harbor Co-Op & RV Resort by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s manatee rescue team and rangers after a concerned citizen reported the animal in distress. 

FWC biologists and law enforcement first responded to confirm the manatee needed help before the rescue operation began.

“This is a male, it's probably what I would call a sub-adult, so several years old, but not a full-size adult,” said Denise Boyd, assistant research scientist with FWC’s Marine Mammal Program in Southwest Florida.

Boyd said the manatee measured about seven feet long. During a quick on-site assessment, the rescue team noticed two concerning issues: an injury and signs of cold stress.

“So the animal does have an injury that's not healing well on its left shoulder area,” Boyd said. “It also has signs on its skin that it's been stressed by the cold.”

Because of those initial findings, biologists suspect the animal may have been injured by a watercraft and affected by recent cold temperatures. However, the final determination will come after a full medical evaluation.

“There may be again, we have done a quick assessment, sending it for further assessment by the folks at Sea World, but our first inclinations are that it's likely watercraft and cold-related,” Boyd said.

The manatee was transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation, where veterinarians will conduct a more thorough examination and provide treatment.

FWC says this season has brought more rescues than usual.

"This is a higher number of rescues than where this is definitely above average," said Boyd.

Recent cold weather can impact manatees days or even weeks later. While the cold snap that affected Southwest Florida occurred around mid-February, its effects can linger.

Boyd says predicting when rescues tied to cold stress will slow down is difficult.

“This is a little bit harder to predict, because it's not similar to the last cold that I experienced in 2010 2011,” Boyd said. “So it seems to have slowed down for the mortalities, but has increased for the rescues. So I don't want to make any predictions. I'm hoping we're nearing the end, but it's too hard to tell.”

 The rescue happened in the Orange River near Orange Harbor, an area where manatees often gather during cooler months.

“This animal was found just upstream in the Orange River, halfway between here and Manatee Park,” Boyd said.

Manatees frequently use this stretch of water for warmth during colder months.

“They're used to using this area for warm water this time of year, so it's not unusual to find them here,” Boyd said.

FWC says citizen reports are critical to rescuing animals in distress.

Officials encourage people to call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 if they see a manatee that appears injured, sick, or in distress. Photos or videos can help biologists track reports and locate animals faster.

“If they can provide a photo or video, we do keep full track of them, and then we try to match those reports up,” Boyd said.

FWC says multiple agencies — including biologists, law enforcement, marine labs, and rehabilitation facilities — work together to rescue and care for animals in need.

“And that's the big takeaway, is that there's a lot of folks here that are working together to save the few that we can,” Boyd said.