Winter Manatee Activity
Dr. Ruth Carmichael

Several unexpected manatee sightings in late 2008 and early 2009 kept the Mobile Manatee Sighting Network (MMSN) busy from Thanksgiving through the New Year.  Three manatees were spotted outside of the regular sighting season (April-November), when waters are colder and animals are in danger from cold stress.

One manatee was sighted in the Jourdan River in Mississippi in mid-November, and its status remains unknown.  Another was sighted in central Mobile Bay in early December.  A third was spotted in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in Satsuma, Alabama in early January. 

Unfortunately, the animal seen in central Mobile Bay succumbed to cold stress before it could be relocated. However, valuable tissue samples, photographs, and other data were recovered from this animal, increasing our knowledge of manatees in Alabama waters.  Currently, efforts are underway to locate and assess the condition of the Satsuma manatee, which has been unofficially adopted by the generous DJs at 92 ZEW. 

We hope that attention from local and regional media will maintain public interest and assist MMSN in finding this animal.  The network’s biggest hurdle is prompting immediate response from citizens who spot animals.  The sooner we receive sighting reports, the sooner we are able to respond and the better data we are able to collect about the animal, its behavior and habitat.

A bit of good news:  photographs provided to USGS Sirenia Project by MMSN resulted in the positive identification of one Alabama animal.  The manatee, which had distinct tail mutilations, was photographed in the Dog River on 2 Sep 2007. According to USGS scientist Cathy Beck, she  "is an old, very well known manatee from the Crystal River population - CR123, aka ‘Ellie.’  Ellie was first documented (at Crystal River) in Dec 1979!  After her Alabama visit, she was seen back in Crystal River in Dec 2007, and has been seen this winter as well."   This week, researchers in FL fitted Ellie with a belt and tag so that she can be tracked if she returns to Alabama waters.