Watch: Manatee visits Massachusetts waters for first time since 2016

Desmond Milligan · August 13

Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Marine rescuers in Massachusetts said they are keeping tabs on the first manatee to be spotted in the state's waters in nearly a decade.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, which is working together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local groups in Massachusetts, is asking the public to report any sightings of the marine mammal.

The manatee was first spotted July 26, when paddleboarder Jennifer Sullivan recorded video of the animal off Mashpee.

Sullivan told NBC Boston the manatee was "just lazing around there in the grass going as slowly as possible."

The manatee was again spotted July 29, when it was temporarily stranded on tidal flats in the Mattapoisett area. It was able to return to deeper waters when the tide came in.

"Manatee sightings in Massachusetts are uncommon; only four have been documented in the past 17 years," Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, told the Cape Cod Times. "We are grateful to members of the public who promptly reported the stranding. Early information is key to ensuring the best possible outcome for any marine mammal."

The most recent confirmed manatee sighting in Massachusetts waters was in 2016.

"Because Massachusetts water temperatures are barely within the manatees allowable temperature limits and only for short periods of time in certain areas, these animals can often become stressed if they stay too long into the season and water temperatures drop," Hedman said.

Officials are asking the public to report any further manatee sightings. They said a rescue plan will be put into effect if the animal becomes stranded again or the water temperature dips below comfortable temperatures for the warm-water creature.

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