NAGS HEAD, N.C. — The U.S. Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet on Saturday had some pretty neat visitors, manatees.
In a Facebook post, the station said during the course of their duties they see plenty of marine life. However, it's not ever day manatees enter their basin.
On July 31, Bay Venture Boat Rentals posted a video on their Facebook page of a manatee that made its way to a dock just to take a drink of water.
The City of Virginia Beach said in a Facebook post that manatees occasionally visit the area in warmer weather. If someone happens to spot one, they are asked to contact the Virginia Aquarium's Stranding Response Team at 757-385-7575 to report its location.
Back in August, the City of Virginia Beach gave a list of dos and don't when it comes to manatees:
- DO: As with all wildlife, please observe from a distance.
- DON'T: Feed them or give them water. If they learn they'll get food or water easily from people near boats, then they'll hang out near people and boats. That creates problems because vessel strikes are the #1 cause of manatee deaths. We also don't want them to overstay their seasonal welcome. They don't tolerate cold well and need to head back south to warmer water once temperatures here begin to drop. If they have other reasons keeping them here - like easy food and water, they're more likely to make a bad decision and even a slight delay can harm them.
- DO: Avoid activities such as excessive noise, splashing or similar actions that could disturb manatees.
- DO: If practical, avoid boating in areas where manatees have been reported. If you encounter a manatee, operate boats at idle and slow speed and move away from the animal.
- DON'T: Attempt to rescue a manatee you believe to be in distress; call the Stranding Response Team (757-385-7575)
- DON'T: Ride, chase, poke or surround manatee. Also, do not separate a mother and calf or an individual from a group.