FALMOUTH, Mass. — The pregnant manatee rescued off Massachusetts’ Cape Cod and released off Florida’s Atlantic coast is now in another unusual place – the Bahamas.
The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut reported this week that the 800-pound female manatee dubbed Washburn has been electronically tracked to the islands, about 350 miles from where she was released Nov. 1.
A Sea to Shore Alliance scientist says just as it was unusual to find a manatee off Massachusetts, it’s also rare to find one near the Bahamas.
She says Washburn “has us on our toes wondering where she’ll go next.”
The manatee was rescued off Washburn Island in Falmouth on Sept. 22 because of concerns that northern waters would get too cold.
The Florida manatee is typically found in the coastal waters and rivers of the southeastern United States and Gulf of Mexico. It can move freely between salinity extremes including freshwater, brackish and marine habitats.
Washburn underwent a month of rehabilitation at Mystic Aquarium before being flown to Florida in October.
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