Manatees caught in Jacksonville marsh released into water

It took 20 people about 2 hours, but in the end, Jacksonville University students, neighborhood residents, and marine biologists moved 4 manatees, totaling more than 2 tons in weight, back into the St. Johns River.

Dave Brennan, an Arlington homeowner, says workers cutting down a tree noticed the manatees in the marsh and called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He immediately began hosing the sea cows down with water.  They assembled a team of students from Jacksonville University, Jacksonville Zoo, and nearby residents to help carry the huge animals.

"Sometimes we just monitor the animals, but knowing that it was low tide and due to the location that the animals were tidally stranded, the best option was to move them to the water," says Nadia Gordon with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Gordon said during mating season, the females swim to shallow water to try to avoid the males, who will relentlessly chase them in attempts to mate.  Gordon thinks the tide went out while the manatees where close to shore, leaving them stranded in the marsh.

"There's no way we could have done it without all these people here, they were super heavy," says Corbitt Williams, a nearby resident who helped with moving all 4 manatees back into the river.

The animals were in good health and condition  when they were returned to the water and happily swam away.  The final one gave a wave of its tail to all the helpers as it swam off.