A manatee found stuck on a sandbar in Charlotte County was likely paralyzed from red tide poisoning, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy found the manatee gasping for oxygen in the waters off Lemon Bay Sunday and contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A marine biologist later determined the manatee was most likely paralyzed due to red tide poisoning.
The deputy placed a live vest under its snout to help it breath until the FWC arrived, then the manatee was pulled from the water and taken to SeaWorld Orlando for treatment.
According to the FWC, South Florida has seen a sharp increase in manatee deaths in 2018.
On Tuesday, a dead manatee was pulled from the waters near a yacht club in Cape Coral. Video shows two smaller manatees swimming near the one that died, leading some to speculate one of them was a baby desperately trying to cling to its mother. But wildlife officials said they were trying to mate with the dead animal.
