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SARASOTA- A team effort, times two.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium rescued not just one, but two manatees in one week.

ON Tuesday Mote Marine Stranding Investigations, along with Florida Fish and Wildlife responded to a call of a manatee in a residential canal connected to nearby Philippi Creek.

Upon their arrival, the team noticed signs of cold stress, given that the water was about 67 degrees Fahrenheit, which is below the threshold for manatees.

“W could see no real way it could exit the canal on either end, so we’re not sure how long it’s been here but proabaly quite some time and the water is getting colder, and it also looked l little bit skinny so we weren’t real happy with how it was looking and we didn’t want it to stay in the canal, because that would’ve definitely be detrimental to its health,” said Mote Stranding Biologist, Amber Lea Kincaid. 

With teamwork Mote and FWC, led the rescue effort to assist the manatee, a subadult female a little over 6 feet long.

“It was a long effort, because the manatee kept evading us, and we finally got the manatee into the net and we were able to get it up onto shore and FWC’s transport vehicle and its going to be going to Zoo Tampa’s for assessment and rehab care,” said Kincaid. 

And just two days later, a similar situation played out, a manatee in Whittaker Bayou near Downtown Sarasota, was showing signs of cold stress.

Once, again mote and FWC worked together to capture and transport the manatee to Zoo Tampa for rehabilitation.