‘Frolicking Manatees’ Spotted Off Courtney Campbell Causeway

CLEARWATER, FL — An unsettling sight in waters off the Courtesy Campbell Causeway prompted a recent call to local police for assistance. What a person believed to be a beached dolphin turned out to be a pleasant surprise instead for officers who responded.

It seems a “cluster of frolicking manatees” was making waves, prompting the person who called police Tuesday to believe a marine animal was in trouble. Police who answered the call, snapped a photo of the sight to share with the department’s fans on Facebook.

Manatee herds aren’t entirely uncommon for folks to spot in Tampa Bay area waters. Manatees often congregate in herds in cold weather and also when they’re mating. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently issued a warning about manatee herds and the need for the public to steer clear of them. While manatees in herds may seem like they’re in “distress,” the agency says they’re not.

“When manatees are observed in mating herds, there is a lot of splashing and slapping of their tails along with constant movement by the animals,” FWC explained in an email to Patch. “This behavior can sometimes be misconstrued by the public as the manatees being in distress.”

This, officials say, can lead to potentially dangerous interventions.

“There have been circumstances where the public has intervened with mating herds, thinking they are doing the right thing,” FWC said. “However, we caution people to stay clear of mating herds for both human and animal safety.”

Manatees can weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds, which means that during mating, people who get in their way could be inadvertently injured by manatees who are simply “moving around or slapping their tails.”

“If you see a herd of manatees splashing and seeming quarrelsome at the surface of the water, give them space and please do not disturb,” the agency wrote. “This is common mating behavior among male manatees pursuing a female.”

Florida’s manatee population is estimated to be around 6,250. The creatures are protected by both state and federal law.

To find out more about Florida’s native manatee population, visit FWC online.

Photo courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department