Rare Manatee Near Cape Cod Seen Again, Scientists Ready To Help

CAPE COD, MA — Days after a manatee was spotted on Cape Cod for the first time in nearly 10 years, reports indicate that scientists are at the ready in case the animal needs to be rescued.

This manatee was first seen in Mashpee on July 26 and is reportedly still in the waters around Cape Cod.

• Related: Manatee Spotted On Cape Cod For First Time In Nearly A Decade

It isn't the first time a manatee has been spotted in Cape Cod, but it is the first confirmed sighting since 2016. Manatees were also spotted in 2006 and 2008, and there was an unconfirmed report of a manatee in Buzzards Bay in July 2024.

Officials with the Buzzards Bay Coalition said that, between mid-August and September in 2016, a manatee was "repeatedly observed on the south side of Cape Cod, mostly along the shores of Falmouth."

That animal was rescued on Sept. 22 that year because of what officials said were "rapidly dropping water temperatures.

Now, scientists are prepared in case water temperatures drop again, or the manatee struggles due to a lack of sustenance, an NBC 10 report said.

The animal has already faced challenges, as Mattapoisett beachgoers are to thank for getting it back into the water after it was stranded on tidal flats.