Marine Mammal Stranding Program Helps Rescue Manatee

Alumnus Alison Loftis ’21, the assistant stranding coordinator for UNCW’s Marine Mammal Stranding Program, was part of a team that successfully rescued a struggling manatee from a Tar River canal in Greenville, North Carolina. The 855-pound, 9-foot female manatee, nicknamed Pamlico, was transported to SeaWorld Orlando’s manatee critical care facility, where staff cared for her until her release at Apollo Beach in January.

“This was a huge group effort,” said Loftis. “Our team was absolutely thrilled to assist with the first documented manatee rescue in North Carolina history,” Loftis said. “As we saw in Pamlico’s case, prolonged exposure to cold water conditions puts manatees at dangerous risk of cold stress, a condition similar to hypothermia in humans. Without veterinary intervention and rehabilitation, cold stress is often fatal.”

Pamlico was first reported to the Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network in late October near Kitty Hawk. Researchers monitored her from afar, temporarily lost her location, and then found her further south and inland near a wastewater treatment plant, where she was suffering from cold stress and skin injuries.

The rescue was a collaborative effort involving multiple states and agencies. Key partners included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), SeaWorld Orlando, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Aquariums and NC State University.