The Department of Marine Resources wishes to
inform the public of the recent activities undertaken in respect of the recent
appearance of two manatees in the eastern part of Nassau Harbour.
The presence of two manatees, also sometimes
called sea cows, was reported to the Department of Marine Resources on Tuesday
11 October, 2011. The manatees
were identified as a mother and calf and were immediately suspected to be Rita
and Georgie, manatees that, until a few weeks ago, were resident in the area of
Spanish Wells, North Eleuthera.
Although all marine mammals, such as whales
dolphins and manatees, are protected in The Bahamas under the Marine Mammal
Protection Act, it was recognised that the presence of these manatees in Nassau
Harbour placed them at considerable risk from a number of hazards, the
principal of which being the high volume of boating traffic.
A Marine Mammal Response Team from Atlantis was
called upon to assist with the identification of the manatees and was
authorised by the Department of Marine Resources to capture the manatees and
relocate them to a safe and secure location where their health could be
evaluated and they could be maintained until a decision was made in respect of
their disposition.
The manatees were positively identified as Rita
and Georgie. It is not known what
caused them to leave the North Eleuthera area and move to Nassau Harbour. The
capture attempts on Tuesday 11 October were not successful. On Saturday 15 October 2011 both mother
and calf were successfully captured and transported to a secure facility on
Paradise Island. The captures and
transport of the manatees were undertaken under the direct observation and
supervision of the Department of Marine Resources. The manatees are not on display and initial reports indicate
that they are both doing well.
Although manatees may have been more common in
The Bahamas historically, the manatees observed within the country in recent
times have been identified as visitors form Florida.
The Department of Marine Resources wishes to
thank the members of the public who assisted in various ways with the effort to
place the manatees in safely. This
includes the reporting of the presence and movements of the manatees, and
providing advice that ended in safe and successful captures.
The Department of Marine Resources notes with
thanks the continued cooperation and assistance of the Response Team from
Atlantis in respect of this matter and their assistance in responding to
strandings of marine mammals in The Bahamas.
(PHOTO is for reference only and NOT of the spotted manatees)
