Vacation time has finally come to an end for a large manatee that has spent the last several weeks around Bimini. First spotted back in November, this large male has been quite a spectacular site for people to see. Unfortunately, Bimini is not considered suitable habitat for manatees, so a decision was made to return this gentle sea cow back home.
Together a team from the Bahamas Department of Marine Resources, US Fish & Wildlife, the Miami SeaQuarium, the US Coast Guard, U.S. Geological Survey & the Dolphin Communication Project developed a plan to capture the manatee and return it to Florida for further evaluation.
Once in Florida, the team will be able to genetically test the manatee to determine exactly where it came from, and as long as it’s healthy, return it home.
Crew from Bimini Sands, Bimini Undersea, the Sharklab and even a passing fishing boat also joined the effort to safely capture and transport the manatee last Saturday. In fact, the manatee was found and captured right off the beach in front of Bimini Sands.
Further updates can be found on the Dolphin Communication Project website by clicking here.
Together a team from the Bahamas Department of Marine Resources, US Fish & Wildlife, the Miami SeaQuarium, the US Coast Guard, U.S. Geological Survey & the Dolphin Communication Project developed a plan to capture the manatee and return it to Florida for further evaluation.
Once in Florida, the team will be able to genetically test the manatee to determine exactly where it came from, and as long as it’s healthy, return it home.
Crew from Bimini Sands, Bimini Undersea, the Sharklab and even a passing fishing boat also joined the effort to safely capture and transport the manatee last Saturday. In fact, the manatee was found and captured right off the beach in front of Bimini Sands.
Further updates can be found on the Dolphin Communication Project website by clicking here.
