Manatee Sightings: April 2021

Special thanks to Save the Manatee Club staff members Wayne Hartley, Manatee Specialist, and Cora Berchem, Director of Multimedia and Manatee Research Associate, for their work to document manatees during the 2020 – 2021 season. Watch more videos from the manatee season on our Webcam page. Several of the manatees featured are in our Adopt-A-Manatee® program. (All SMC activities conducted under permit # MA791721-5.)

Earlier this season, Shalane’s little calf was right in front of our underwater webcam at Blue Spring State Park on January 6th, chewing on a palm frond and digging in the bottom. Too cute! (Video © Save the Manatee Club.)

 

Here’s another video of Shalane and her calf on February 8, 2021. Watch for the “manatee footprint” on the surface of the water at the end when the calf uses its paddle-shaped tail to catch up with mom.

 

Annie the manatee
Here’s our still pregnant Annie at Blue Spring State Park on March 1st. Her latest sighting was on March 11th with fellow adoptee Rocket.
 
Rocket the manatee
Rocket was also spotted at manatee roll call on March 24th with fellow adoptee Aqua and her calf.

 

Paddy Doyle was captured on our above-water webcam with lots of friends at Blue Spring on February 7, 2021. He’s the one swimming in at about 0:16​ sec into the video from the bottom left. Check out his scar pattern here.  (Video © Save the Manatee Club.)

 

Manatees Brutus and Deep Dent
Deep Dent (in back) at Blue Spring State Park on December 21, 2020.
 
Lily the manatee
Lily and a few other manatees, including fellow adoptee Brutus, were spotted on the webcam on March 21st. She was apparently pushing Brutus around a bit!

 

Watch this dramatic footage of a big cavorting group pursuing manatee Mossback from our underwater webcam on February 5, 2021. (Video © Save the Manatee Club.)

 

Doc the manatee
Doc was seen on March 10, 2021 at Blue Spring State Park, along with fellow adoptees Paddy Doyle and Phyllis and her calf.
 
Millie the manatee
We were happy to get a sighting of Millie, one of our east coast adoptees, from staff at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute. This photo was taken in the Silver River in mid-March.
 

Adoptee Aqua was spotted with her calf and some juvenile manatees at Blue Spring State Park and recorded with our underwater webcam on January 29, 2021. (Video © Save the Manatee Club.)

 

Aqua the manatee and her calf
Here’s a photo of Aqua and her nursing calf at Blue Spring State Park on February 4, 2021. They were also recently seen on March 23rd and March 24th.

 

Manatee adoptee Una with a juvenile manatee on January 29, 2021. (Video © Save the Manatee Club.)

 

Gator the manatee
Here’s Gator on March 2nd. On March 23rd, he was playing with some other manatees on and around and all over a palm log in the run and hanging out with Phyllis and her calf.

 

More great shots of a big group including Frank and Cortez on February 5, 2021. From our underwater webcam at Blue Spring. (Video © Save the Manatee Club.)

 

Howie the manatee
Howie (pictured above) and Annie were the only adoptees present on March 10, 2021 at Blue Spring State Park.

 

Flash the manatee
Here’s Flash on March 9th at Blue Spring State Park. He was seen with Lucille, Aqua with calf, Howie, and Floyd at manatee roll call.

 

Philip the manatee.
Philip made an appearance at Blue Spring State Park on March 22, 2021. He was the only Save the Manatee Club adoptee at roll call that day.

 

Man versus Manatee comic
“Helpless Hiding” from the charming web comic “Man versus Manatee” by Rachel Arnow. See more of Rachel’s manatee comics at manvsmanatee.com or on her Facebook page. She puts out a new comic each “Manatee Monday.”