A manatee affected by low temperatures in Florida is rescued

In a true race against time, teams from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) successfully rescued a young male manatee in Bear Creek, Florida, that was showing signs of stress due to cold.

The rescue operation took place on January 27 with the participation of trained teams from the FWC, specialists from the Mote Marine Laboratory, the Tampa Zoo, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and the search and rescue team from Eckerd College.

The institution detailed on its X account that during the rescue, the manatee remained active and showed a good overall physical condition.

Thanks to the quick response of the teams, the animal was successfully transferred by Mote Marine to its facilities, where it will receive rehabilitation care until its full recovery.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission accompanied the publication with several images of the rescue, showing at least ten people working together to safely lift the mammal out of the water and place it on a transport stretcher.

The case occurs amid a cold wave that has affected the southern United States and regions of the Caribbean, including Cuba.

In another post, the state agency reminded boaters and visitors that manatees typically surface every three to five minutes to breathe and urged caution during their migration to warmer waters.

FWC urged to keep a distance, respect the protection zones, and avoid touching or feeding them.

Florida's environmental authorities conduct similar operations every year during the winter months, when the low water temperatures can cause thermal stress to manatees, one of the state's most emblematic and vulnerable species.