Beached Manatee Rescued In Fort Myers Beach: Lee County Sheriff

MYERS BEACH, FL - A beached manatee drew a crowd to Fort Myers Beach Thursday morning, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno posted to X, formerly Twitter.

The uninjured manatee was found by an employee at the nearby Pink Shell Beach Resort.

Deputies helped care for the manatee and assisted the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, which rescued the animal, in removing it from the beach.

Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy or molest manatees, according to the FWC website.

There are about 6,300 manatees in Florida, compared to just over 1,200 in 1991, the Florida Museum said.