Florida deputies hold 'exhausted' manatee's head above water for two hours to prevent it from drowni

[Elderberry]

Daily Mail by  Joe Hutchison 6/23/2023

Florida deputies hold 'exhausted' manatee's head above water for two hours to prevent it from drowning during a red tide

•   Officers had to be called to reports of a manatee floating on the surface of water near St. Petersburg, Florida

•   The animal had been floating on the surface with labored breathing in an attempt to keep away from a red tide

•   Two police officers jumped into the water after arriving on the scene and helped the animal keep their head above the water for two hours

Two Florida deputies held an exhausted manatee's head above water for two hours to prevent it from drowning during a red tide.

The mammal was desperately trying to beach itself on the rocks of the Shell Key Preserve outside of St. Petersburg, Florida, so it wouldn't drown.

After failing to make it on the rocks, the large animal had to resort to floating at the surface with labored breathing.

One onlooker spotted the animal, and worried for its safety, called the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

After arriving on the scene, Deputy Jill Constant said she watched the animal which was refusing to go underwater and decided to jump in.

According to the Sheriff's Office the animal was suffering from the effects of the toxins produced by a red tide.

More: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12228003/Florida-deputies-hold-exhausted-manatees-head-water-two-hours.html


The two officers quickly jumped to the aid of the manatee, who had been feeling the effects of red tide

[PeteS in CA]

Oh the huge manatee!

[libertybele]

Manatees -- also known as a sea cow.  We have a manatee park around here; however in all the years I lived here I've not seen a manatee at that park. I've been to the park at different times of the day and still haven't sighted one.

When we lived on Gulf access we did have a manatee get trapped in the canal behind us, but she managed to find her way out.

They are huge, gentle creatures.

As for the red tide -- that's a whole other problem.

[deb]

Manatees -- also known as a sea cow.  We have a manatee park around here; however in all the years I lived here I've not seen a manatee at that park. I've been to the park at different times of the day and still haven't sighted one.

When we lived on Gulf access we did have a manatee get trapped in the canal behind us, but she managed to find her way out.

They are huge, gentle creatures.

As for the red tide -- that's a whole other problem.

For those of us land-locked, can you please explain what a red tide is?

[libertybele]

For those of us land-locked, can you please explain what a red tide is?

In short, red tide is an algae bloom that can be harmful and for some it can be hazardous to some people's health as well as fish and water fowl. I'm not certain as to what causes it but this time of year you cannot fertilize lawns within so many feet of a water source It is believed that the runoff from fertilizer into the water can cause the algae bloom.  Though there has been red tide at different times of the year, so I'm not sure that's accurate.

I do know that they fertilize the sugar cane fields and at this time of year, so that the area doesn't flood, they dump water from that area into our largest river and voila we get red tide.

It's been an on going battle between the sugar cane companies and politicians who promise to stop the them.  No progress ever seems to be truly be made.

[Free Vulcan]

Oh the huge manatee!

Had to be said. 

[PeteS in CA]

Red tides can be a seasonal phenomena independent of human actions. Shellfish are filter feeders and the algae make the shellfish seasonally toxic, hence there are seasons when collecting and eating shellfish is dangerous.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Red tides are algae blooms that produce high levels of toxins that can kill fish and mammals; toxins can build up in filter feeders - shellfish - causing them to be toxic to human when consumed.

Ride tides can occur in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic seaboard, usually during warmer weather.

They've been occurring with greater frequency in southern Florida because of warming Gulf waters and high levels of phosphorus in storm, agricultural, and waste water run-off.

Every few years, they'll be a bad red tide breakout in the greater Gulf of Maine area that will cause fish kills, closure of shellfish fisheries, beach closures, and swimming bans.

... the worst comes after the fish kills, when the dead fish start decomposing and the smell of rotting fish permeates the hot Summer air.