Not your ordinary tourist: Manatee visits Cape Cod

By Globe Staff

An unusual tourist -- one who may be eight feet long and weigh 1,000 pounds -- has been visiting Cape Cod recently. A manatee, normally a denizen of waters much farther south, has been sighted in Harwich, Dennis, and Yarmouth, an official at the Cape Cod Stranding Network said.

Activists are hoping to monitor the animal and, if the water gets cooler and the animal seems in danger, will consider rescuing it, said C.T. Harry, assistant stranding coordinator for the non-profit group that responds when marine mammals are beached. He said sightings so far have been reported by citizens, and activists haven't confirmed them yet.

The animal was initially seen in Rhode Island about a month ago. After that, it was seen in Fall River and Taunton. And more recently, it has been sighted off Harwich and Dennis. It was spotted today at Gray’s Beach in Yarmouthport, said Harry, who had just returned from unsuccessfully looking for the animal.

Witnesses have given various estimates of the size of the animal -- from five feet long and 700 pounds to eight feet long and 1,000 pounds, Harry said.

“The ideal thing is for us to do nothing and let the animal go back down south on its own power,” said Harry. But he said that if the animal continues to be sighted in the next week or two, as the water temperatures drop, his organization would work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service on a rescue plan.

The Florida manatee typically is found in Florida and southeastern Georgia. They cannot survive very long in water below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

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