New Year’s Day proved eventful with the rescue of a manatee in the Magnolia Springs community of Alabama. A resident first spotted the manatee in the upper reaches of the Magnolia River the afternoon of December 29. The manatee remained in the area giving the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting Network team time to assess the animal’s condition.

Manatees rely on water temperatures above about 68°F (20°C) to survive, making most areas in the Unites States outside of Florida too cold for them to remain year-round. With the threat of the polar vortex bringing unusually cold temperatures to much of the United States in the week ahead, a team from several agencies was organized to rescue the animal on New Year’s Day.

“The animal was lethargic and showing early signs of cold stress. With the colder weather coming in this week, we determined rescue was a priority,” said DISL/MSN Director Dr. Ruth H. Carmichael. “We are always concerned about cold-stress related mortality this time of year, and this cold front is likely to be hard on these animals throughout their range.”

Alabama partners worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), SeaWorld Orlando, GulfWorld Marine Institute, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources Division to capture the manatee.

DISL/MSN staff transported the 9-foot long and 855-pound male manatee to a critical care facility at SeaWorld Orlando where it is recovering. The Magnolia River manatee rescued on New Year’s Day joins the manatee rescued in the Theodore Ship Channel just before Christmas, at the facility.

In late 2014 and early 2015, two manatees were rescued from Magnolia Springs area, one of which was too sick to survive, but the other manatee recovered and was released at a warm spring in Florida a few months after rescue.

“We hope for a similarly successful outcome for the two animals recently rescued,” said Carmichael. “Rapid and consistent reporting by members of the public was critical to our response efforts. We are extremely lucky to have support of the local community members and partner agencies to make any rescue possible."

DISL/MSN stresses the importance of reporting manatee sightings to the network year-round, especially during the winter when animals are at greater risk of becoming distressed and sick.

Please report manatee sightings as soon as possible to DISL/MSN by dialing 1-866-493-5803. If animals appear sick or distressed, choose the emergency reporting option when prompted. Non-emergency sightings can also be reported online at manatee.disl.edu.

To donate to support our response efforts or for more information on manatees in our area and recommendations on safely sharing our local waterways with these protected marine mammals, visit manatee.disl.edu.