Madison Zaleski
•6/30/2026
Manatee deaths have been on the rise this year across the Gulf Coast, especially in Lee County.
While boats remain a threat, severe cold has also taken a huge toll. Wildlife officials are working to respond, rescue and protect these vulnerable animals. Our crew joined Florida Fish and Wildlife crews for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into a manatee rescue operation.
On Big Hickory Pass in Bonita Springs, you'll find Joey Nelson kayaking in our beautiful Gulf Coast waters, surrounded by wildlife.
Manatee sightings are a regular highlight on the tours he gives.
"We see them every day. I mean, we could have three or four of them pull up here right now as we're talking," said Nelson.
But last year, one outing took a heartbreaking turn.
"It was wild. I'd never seen anything like that before," said Nelson.
He found a dead manatee in the mangroves, surrounded by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's team.
"For our lab specifically, we've responded to 119 manatee mortalities, and we've conducted 19 manatee rescues from January 1st to present," said assistant research scientist Denise Boyd.
Boyd says manatee rescues are up this year. In just one week in February, they found 25 dead manatees in Lee County alone.
"We had a lot of animals succumb to the cold temperatures," said Boyd.
Our crew also saw FWC rescue a distressed mama manatee and her baby.
So, what goes into a manatee rescue? Our crew visited FWC's Charlotte Harbor Field Lab to see the operation firsthand.
The lab houses staff who respond to manatee rescues and mortality events in the Southwest region. The coverage spans from Sarasota County to the mainland portion of Monroe County. They also respond to whales and dolphins in Charlotte, Lee, and Collier.
"We rely on citizens to report, to provide some information, either a photo or video. The first thing we take into account is the animal's location," said Boyd.
It's all hands-on deck! Crews start loading up their equipment, and it's a process to get everything hooked up safely. Every piece of equipment serves a purpose.
"We will organize our life jackets, our rescue oxygen, our protective booties, our stretchers, our lifting straps," said Boyd.
Once it's all loaded up, it's off to the boat dock to hit the water. The team's biggest tool is a 300-foot net used to carefully capture the manatee.
"We need ten people on board so we have the physical strength to pull an adult manatee on board, which can be over 1200 pounds," said Boyd.
Back on the dock, the rescue continues on land as crews transfer the manatee into a climate-controlled truck, before taking it to a critical care facility.
"We'll just keep the animal cool and moist. They breathe oxygen, so they're fine sitting on the foam pads. If it's winter time and there's concerns for cold stress, the heat will be on in the truck. We have heat blankets on the animal, and we're able to slowly warm them during transport," said Boyd.
By the end of a rescue, Boyd says crews can face long, exhausting workdays. However, it's all worth it in the end.
"We do get a sense of gratitude," said Boyd.
If you spot a distressed manatee, never try to move or touch it. Pushing a distressed manatee back into the water can cause further injury.
"It would be like I grabbed you by your leg and dragged you across the parking lot," said Boyd.
Knowing how much harm it can cause, Nelson knows to leave rescues to the experts.
"We don't know what we're doing. They're professionals. They know what they're doing," said Nelson.
If you see a distressed, sick, or injured manatee in Southwest Florida, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).
