www.alertdiver.com
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17
was seen nursing the orphan more
and more often. Sometimes she
would leave her rotund older calf
up in the springs to play while she
went to nurse the hungry orphan.
As the weather warmed, the
whiskered threesome was seen
less frequently. This was taken
as an encouraging sign that the
mother, her older calf and the little
orphan had all happily bonded
and had ventured out to pursue
their lives elsewhere. When I think
about the privilege to peek into
the manatee’s world and witness
this tender and caring bonding of
mother, calf and orphan, all I can
say is, “Gee whiskers!”
—
Carol Grant
How To Help
If you see a manatee in distress,
call the 24-hour manatee hotline at
1-888-404-
FWCC.
Ivan Vicente, visitor services spe-
cialist at the Crystal River National
Wildlife Refuge, said the refuge
enlists about 60 Manatee Watch
volunteers each manatee season
in Crystal River, but more than half
the reports of manatees in distress
come from visitors who snorkel
near the animals. “They pass on
their observations to the Manatee
Watch volunteers or tour operators,
who further observe, photograph or
film the manatees in question. Most
snorkeling visitors carry underwater
cameras, and their photos and video
footage are critical in helping to
determine whether a manatee needs
rescue,” Vicente said.
CAROL GRANT
A Manatee Watch volunteer photographs
a manatee in Crystal River, Fla.
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