Life is starting to get back to normal after Hurricane Hermine forced many Tampa Bay residents from their homes.
But in Crystal River it wasn’t just people who were displaced. Due to intense flooding, a group of manatees ended up in a golf course pond.
- A group of manatees were pushed to a golf course pond due to flooding
- For nearly two weeks, the sea cows have been stranded -- but safe
- On Thursday a hundred volunteers helped two relocate the group
The manatees were washed into a pond at Plantation Golf & Country Club during Hurricane Hermine and have been stuck there for almost two weeks.
Experts say they haven’t been too upset about it.
“They’ve pretty much have been sitting in a salad bar, all this vegetation they’ve been feeding on since they’ve been here,” said FWC Manatee Rescue Coordinator, Andy Garrett.
Nearly a hundred experts and volunteers showed up to help.
The first two sea cows pulled out were a mom and calf. Crews used a large heavy net with a line of people holding on. Almost looking like a game of tug of war.
“The female we caught this morning, the big lactating female she was 1800 pounds, probably 400 pounds of eating and not exercising,” laughed Garrett.
It didn’t look like it, but according to Garrett the first two were the easy job.
“Sometimes the last ones are the hardest because they are wise to what we are doing,” said Garrett.
The rest were intentionally herded to one side of the pond by kayakers splashing their paddles in the water.
While the rest of the group of manatees were distracted, mother and calf were trucked over to tents for checkups.
“They’ll be taking blood for a blood panel, we check fat thickness to see how healthy they are, we’ll weigh them, take measurements,” said Garrett.
So far all are healthy, full and ready for some deeper waters. Crews brought the rescued mammals to a nearby canal.