Meet A Manatee: Doc
He’s the guy all the manatees want to hang with
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Doc doesn’t like being disturbed by humans, but he does seem to enjoy the company of other manatees. (Photo © Walker Stanberry/SMC )
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Just like humans, manatees have individual personalities. Some are gregarious and outgoing, and some are shy and introverted. Doc definitely falls into the former category – when it comes to manatees, that is. If he were human, Doc might enjoy a career as a politician, salesman, or talk-show host. He’s sort of the Jay Leno of manatees.
Doc has been making his winter home at Blue Spring State Park, near Orange City, Florida, ever since he was first identified in 1976. That would put him at his mid-30s age-wise. He seems to be fond of Blue Spring as he frequently stays in the park area right up to the very end of the winter season. In fact, Doc has won the Blue Spring “Attendance Champion” award several years. One year he even put in 43 appearances!
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One way Doc is identified by researchers is the notch on his tail. If you look closely, you can see the fungus patch on his tail that matches Nick, another Blue Spring manatee. (Photo by Jim Reid, U.S. Geological Survey, Sirenia Project)
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Doc is about 10 feet in length, which is about the size of an average manatee. He probably weighs somewhere between 800 to 1,200 pounds, which is also the average weight for a manatee. Doc is identified by white patches on his back, sides, and tail, and also by a notch on the left side of his tail.
Doc likes to visit the swimming area of the spring run at Blue Spring, but this means the swimmers are asked to leave when he arrives as they are not allowed to be in the water with the manatees. Ranger Wayne Hartley, who tracks the manatees at Blue Spring, says that seems to suit Doc just fine as he doesn’t like being disturbed by humans.
Doc does enjoy the company of other manatees, however. He and fellow adoptee Phyllis, another attendance champion award winner, have been known to hang out together. During one season, they arrived and departed together on the same days. His other lady friends include Dana, Lily, Lucille, and Georgia. Doc also likes hanging out with the guys and has often been seen with pals Philip, Nick, Brutus, Paddy Doyle, and Howie.
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Doc has won the Blue Spring “Attendance Champion” award several years. We're hoping to see him safe and sound this November. (Photo by Jim Reid, U.S. Geological Survey, Sirenia Project)
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Doc has also been known to be a companion to injured manatees. One year, Ranger Wayne observed that Doc kept Robin’s younger brother company after he had received some propeller cuts to his tail. Another season, Doc looked after two other young manatees recovering from injuries. During yet another season, Ranger Wayne noticed that both Nick and Doc each sported a patch of fungus on their tails in exactly the same location.
We were all worried when Doc was a “no-show” for the 2006 manatee season for the first time ever. But he must have been taking a year off to see other sights, as manatees will do from time to time. Much to the relief of everyone, Doc arrived back at Blue Spring in November 2007, along with pals Floyd and Merlin. True to form, he left in March with Deep Dent and Flash in tow. “He wasn’t around much that season,” noted Ranger Wayne. “But at least he was there!"
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