There
is an unconfirmed report that the Manatee recently photographed near the
Manteo waterfront may be the same one that was seen floating dead in Alligator
River on Sunday, November 9. An Outer Banks resident who wants to remain
anonymous contacted Sea World and NOAA after seeing the animal swimming
near Roanoke Island Festival Park before its reported death in a failed
effort to get help for the lost manatee; he expressed frustration over
the two organizations apparent lack of interest in saving the animal.
It is believed this animal has been in the area for some time and may
have been mistaken for an alligator by tourists earlier in the season.
Manatees have been known to travel up the Inter-Coastal Waterway, but
rarely as far as Manteo. They cannot survive in water below 60 degrees.
They avoid saltwater and have been known to live up to 60 years. Manatees
are herbivores and eat plant species such as mangrove leaves, turtle grass,
and algae using their trunks and divided upper lip. Pictures by Tim Duffy,
Anna Davis & Andy Scoggins
Bridge in background runs from the Manteo waterfront to Roanoke Island Festival Park.