ST. SIMONS ISLAND (WALB) — Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) officers recently saved a manatee from certain death with help from other state, federal, and private agencies.

The female manatee was spotted by St. Simons’ Capt. Davis Galland on July 29 near the Mackay and Hampton rivers off St. Simons Island. Davis found the manatee was tightly wrapped in a commercial crab pot and buoy line. The line was wrapped just behind the animal’s head, encircling her right pectoral flipper, said senior wildlife biologist Jessica Thompson. The line had already cut into the manatee’s skin, said GDNR officials.

A satellite tracking device was attached to the animal to monitor its location. The crab trap portion of the entanglement was removed before a storm halted additional efforts to remove the trap’s buoy and other lines.

“We knew the entanglement was life-threatening without human intervention, and that intervening posed a very high risk for the responders and the manatees. I am grateful for our DNR team and for being able to call on colleagues whose collective expertise gained during years of manatee rescues and captures, field observations of manatee behavior, and marine mammal disentanglement made this a success. It was great to be a part of a response team that demonstrated patience – understanding we had to think through all the options – and adaptability, being able to reassess the changing situation to move forward effectively.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Savannah State University Dolphin Sciences Lab assisted GDNR efforts to completely free the manatee on July 30.

“It was an incredible opportunity for Savannah State University graduate students to learn alongside experienced professionals, expand their field skills and directly contribute to important conservation efforts.”

This was the first time a manatee was documented to be entangled in Georgia waters, said GDNR.

Florida manatees are a federally protected species. If a manatee is found in distress, GDNR officials ask observers to call 800-272-8363 to report the date, time, location, and photos if possible. Do not try to intervene; the on-call biologist will assess the situation.

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