Nearly 1,000 manatees gather in Florida in ‘very unusual’ mortality event

An unprecedented number of nearly 1,000 manatees have gathered in Florida’s Blue Spring State Park amid a “very unusual” mass mortality event, experts warn.

Manatees are typically known to flock to the State Park during winter months, but park authorities say several factors are causing their numbers to increase in recent years.

Just within the first three weeks of this year, 30 manatees have died, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC’s) manatee mortality page.

Four of these deaths have been listed as “watercraft strikes” caused by boat collisions, which experts say is alarming since there are a lower number of boaters during the winter.

“Record-breaking morning at Blue Spring State Park,” the park’s officials wrote on Facebook last week, counting 932 manatees in the area.

This is 200 more than the part’s previous record of 736 manatees counted on New Year’s Day 2024.

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The record-breaking number of manatees were seen gathering in the park on what was the “coldest morning of the season yet” with the river temperature touching 58.8F, according to the Save the Manatee Club.

Manatee die-offs were first reported in 2021 when over 1,000 manatees perished.

This was also the deadliest year on record when the gentle mammals were starving to death as they couldn’t have enough seagrass to eat.

Of the over 500 manatees that died last year, 86 deaths were due to boat collisions and about 20 per cent were due to an algal bloom.

The “red-tide” algal bloom is known to produce toxins, which in large amounts can kill off dolphins, turtles, birds, and manatees.

Exposed manatees may struggle to surface and breathe, leading to their paralysis or death, researchers say.

Manatees are also not well-adapted to survive in water when temperatures drop lower than 68 degrees for long periods as they can develop a disorder similar to “hypothermia, pneumonia or frostbite in humans” that can make them very sick.

These marine mammals have a slow metabolism and only an inch of fat despite their “blubbery” look so they cannot stay warm easily.

“This biology makes sanctuaries such as Blue Spring vital for their survival,” Florida State Parks says.

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