The Florida Integrated Science Center has a group staying here at the Dixie Belle tonight. Their mission is to round up a misguided manatee who wandered west into cold water and needs to be relocated to warmer waters near Tampa where they hope to raise his dangerously low body temp. They know the body temp and location from his attached id tag.
There are only 2500 manatees left in the US and their only predator is man, so we are pretty much responsible for the survival of the species which originated 25-40 million years ago. The majority of their injuries and deaths are caused by damage done by outboard boat motors.
Susan, one of the scientists, told us that generally, manatees are pretty smart, but this guy not so much. He was in the Carribean & should have headed east into warm winter water but chose instead to head for the Dixie Belle Motel for Christmas. We'll invite him back for the summer months, but for now the rescue team needs to relocate him and warm him up.
It's a good thing that manatees have some smarts, 'cause they sure can't rely on their good looks.
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