NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The New Smyrna Beach Fire Department assisted in rescuing two manatees stranded on the shore for over eight hours. Following the response, officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reached out to the department to discuss the handling of the animals.
FWC officials explained that stranded manatees should not be touched without the assistance of trained wildlife experts. Commission officers described their conversation with the fire department as productive and stated that they look forward to collaborating on future incidents.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The incident also drew attention from local wildlife advocates regarding the care provided to the animals while they remained on the shore. Denise Anderson, a representative for the Friends of Manatees organization, commented on both the response of the firefighters and the condition of the stranded manatees.
“They [firefighters] should be applauded as heroes,” Anderson said, The manatees were “not being cared for, there’s no canopies on them, there’s not wet towels on them. They’re not having water poured on them, there’s nobody here.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
FWC shared the following information about the incident with Action News Jax:
“On Aug. 17, FWC received calls reporting manatees stranded onshore during mating activity. FWC contacted the Volusia County Marine Mammal Response Team, which sent a trained staff member to monitor the manatees, assess their respiration and body condition, and take measurements. Responders determined that the appropriate course of action was to monitor the manatees until high tide.
“Following the incident, FWC biologists contacted the New Smyrna Beach Fire Department and had a productive conversation about responding to stranded manatees. Manatee response is a coordinated effort involving trained professionals, partners and volunteers. We appreciate the fire department and all our response partners, and we look forward to continuing to work together during future manatee incidents.
“Here is some basic information for the public on Manatee Mating Herds:
- Mating herds typically include one female pursued by a group of males and may remain together for hours or even days.
- Although manatees are often considered gentle giants, they are large, strong animals that can be quite active during mating.
- This is normal behavior. Watch from a distance and never attempt to approach or interfere with a mating herd.
- Manatees, especially exhausted females, may sometimes beach themselves. If you see this, do not attempt to push them back into open water.
- Report sick, injured, distressed or dead manatees to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922)."
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
