Overview

• Conservation teams continue a coordinated search along the Cape Cod coastline as the manatee’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
• Officials warn that water temperatures dropping below the 72°F threshold risk cold-stunning and severe health decline.
• The 9-foot, 1,000-pound manatee appears underweight and vulnerable, prompting MassWildlife to partner with IFAW for a potential rescue.
• Sightings of Florida manatees in Massachusetts are extraordinarily rare, with only four documented cases in the past 17 years.
• Authorities instruct the public to stay at least 150 feet from the animal and to report any sightings to IFAW’s stranding hotline.