When You Meet a Manatee

The Marine Mammal Stranding Program at UNCW shares the do’s and don’ts of observing marine mammals in Brunswick County without putting them or yourself at risk.

We humans are not the only ones who love Brunswick County’s waterways. Marine mammals live and vacation here too. Dolphins, whales and even the occasional seal can be spotted near our shores. And now there’s a relatively new seasonal guest in the area: the slow and gentle manatee.

“In Brunswick County in the summer, they’re there in big numbers,” says Dr. Michael Tift, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Program (MMSP) at UNC Wilmington, of manatees.

When ocean-going mammals wash up on the beach or in the Intracoastal Waterway, Tift and his colleagues from the MMSP are among the first on the scene to assess the situation. Composed of academics, veterinarians and student assistants, the MMSP is both a designated responder organization and a research team. Its jobs are to evaluate stranded mammals that are still alive, to see what kind of medical care might be appropriate, as well as to recover the bodies of deceased marine mammals for study purposes, to hopefully find out why the animal died and what can be learned about the species overall.

Tift and his colleague Dr. Tiffany Keenan, marine mammal stranding coordinator for the MMSP, recently provided some helpful tips on how to keep everyone safe — humans and animals alike — if you encounter a marine mammal in the wild.

DO
call (910) 515-7354 if you see a stranded marine mammal. That’s the 24/7 stranding hotline run by the MMSP. The operator will take notes and give further instructions to the caller.
“We ask the public to call us because then they can help us identify what the situation is,” Tift says.
If you can’t find the MMSP number, you can always call your local police department or even 911. All emergency call center operators in the area know when to reroute calls to the MMSP.

DON’T
try to help a stranded marine mammal unless you have been instructed to by the MMSP.
“We don’t want [the public] ever to act without contacting us first, because it’s completely illegal for them to do anything without authorization” Tift says.
While people understandably want to help a stranded animal, trying to push or drag a dolphin into the water can severely injure it. It can also lead to injury for the person. In the same way, pouring water on a stranded marine mammal could potentially suffocate it if done incorrectly. Instead, call the MMSP hotline for instructions.

DO
take photos or videos of a stranded marine mammal to send to the MMSP. These can help MMSP members identify the species, the severity of the animal’s injuries and whether or not it’s safe to approach the animal.

DON’T
let pets approach a stranded marine mammal.
“These animals often carry diseases that can be transferred over to humans and pets, so you do not want your pet anywhere close to one,” Tift says.

DO
report any manatees you spot in North Carolina, whether the animal is swimming or stranded, alive or dead. As ocean waters warm up, manatees are travelling farther north than they used to, including into North Carolina. The MMSP has a manatee sighting form on its website and is asking the public to report any occurrences of these curious, plant-eating “sea cows.”
According to Tift, “We are using that citizen science to tell us more about the number of animals in the area and the locations that they frequent, which happens to be a lot of the marinas in Brunswick County.”

DON’T
give manatees food or water, even if they swim up to you. It’s important that they not get accustomed to food and water coming from humans. That could cause them to stay around North Carolina too late into the season, where they will be at risk of cold shock, which can kill them. Better to let them fend for themselves and head back to Florida when the time is right.

DO
slow down your boat when travelling through areas frequented by manatees or whales. Dolphins are lightning fast and can generally avoid moving boats. Whales and manatees are much slower, and propeller strikes are one of the greatest dangers they face. Slowing down will hopefully give them time to move out of the way.
“Staying under 10 knots is what we recommend for large whales,” Keenan says.
Manatees are slower yet, so if you’re boating in a marina or in the Intracoastal Waterway and see a manatee, “Put it in neutral and just enjoy seeing the manatee, or stay at least 50 yards away from it,” she says.

DON’T
deliberately approach a marine mammal with a boat. Harassing or chasing marine mammals is illegal and could get you a very hefty fine and up to a year in prison. However, if your boat engine is in idle and the animal approaches you, you are in the clear.

DO
tune in to marine radio channel 16.
“We try an alert on channel 16 if there are marine mammals in the area to be careful of,” Keenan says.

DO
consider donating to the MMSP. Federal grants and university funding only cover part of its expenses. The program relies on donations to help fund some of its response and research projects.

DON’T
release ballons outside, on the beach or anywhere else. They eventually come back down to earth, and if they land in the water, whales and dolphins could mistake them for jellyfish and eat them. This is what caused the death of a Gervais’ beaked whale on the North Carolina coast in 2023.

DO
and most importantly, DO take in the moment if you see a live marine mammal.
“If you get a chance to see dolphins or manatees in the area, cut the engine and just enjoy it,” Tift says. “It’s a wonderful experience to see these animals in the wild, especially when they’re happy and healthy.”

For more information about the MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING PROGRAM or to make a donation to the program go to uncw.edu/research/major-programs/marine-mammal-stranding.