Meet Lucille
She’s part of the first fifth-generation manatee family
ever recorded at Blue Spring State Park
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If you look closely, you can see the scar on Lucille's right flipper, where she became entangled in fishing line. Unfortunately, she eventually lost the lower half of the flipper. (Photo courtesy USGS, Sirenia Project.)
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Every family has a family tree, and manatees are no exception. Lucille, who winters at Blue Spring State Park, is part of the largest manatee family tree ever documented at the park.
Lucille was born on August 10, 1980 to Luna, another Blue Spring manatee. Like several other animal species (including bees, elephants, and killer whales), manatees have a matriarchal society, which means that the family tree is traced through the female. When manatees mate, they do not form permanent pair bonds. During breeding, a single female, or cow, will be followed by a group of a dozen or more males, or bulls, forming a mating herd, and males assume no responsibility for raising the calf. Luna, who died in 1997, had six calves and today her legacy includes 15 great grandcalves and five great-great grandcalves.
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Lucille was less than one year old when her cries were recorded by manatee researchers after she became separated from her mom. Listen now. (Photo courtesy Debra Willis.)
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At the time of Lucille's birth, manatee researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey's Sirenia Project were tracking Luna. They were able to record several distinct vocalizations made by Lucille and Luna and identify a “distress call” from a manatee calf to her mother. In addition, they were able to learn much about the interaction between a manatee mother and calf.
Since her birth, Lucille has returned to Blue Spring every year to spend the winter. She is easily identified because of a scar from monofilament entanglement that she has on her right flipper. Lucille had to be rescued after fishing line became embedded in her flipper. The line was removed, but she eventually lost the lower half of the flipper. Her scar is a reminder that monofilament line can be dangerous to manatees and other wildlife. They can accidentally ingest it or die from infection caused by entanglement in fishing line or hooks.
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Hanging out at Blue Spring.
(Photo by Wayne Hartley, FDEP) |
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Despite her injury, Lucille is still able to get around quite well, and she remains active. She is a regular at manatee “roll call” in the morning during winter months. Ranger Wayne Hartley, who tracks the manatees at Blue Spring, says that Lucy, as he calls her, often likes to bump up against his canoe just to say hi. He thinks she might be holding a grudge after the monofilament line incident, however. "After capturing Lucille to help her by getting the line off her flipper, she doesn't like us much any more," says Ranger Wayne. "I suspect that's why she hangs out at the run mouth near the river (for a quick getaway)."
Lucille is often seen in the company of her calves and other Blue Spring manatees such as Paddy Doyle, Doc, Dana, Philip, Deep Dent, and Brutus. In fact, Ranger Wayne spotted Lucille and Brutus together last summer and remarked that Brutus seemed very devoted to her.
Today, Lucille is also a mother and a great-grandmother. She has had 10 calves, including Lola, Lufa, Luke, Liege, Lance, Loopy, Peek-a-Boo, Lili, Leep, and an unnamed calf. Daughters Lola and Lili have also had calves of their own, as has Precious, Lucille's granddaughter (Lola's daughter). In fact, Lucille is part of the first fifth-generation manatee family ever recorded at Blue Spring State Park.
“Usually Lucille has a calf every other year,” says Ranger Wayne, “just like clockwork. She let us down this year though. There was no calf and she should have had one. I guess we'll have to hope for next year!”
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| Lucille is also identified by researchers by the other scars she has on both her right and left side. At right, she travels with one of her calves. (Photos courtesy USGS, Sirenia Project.) |
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