Manatee freed in first-ever Georgia entanglement rescue

A Florida manatee entangled in crab trap lines was freed last week in the first reported manatee rescue in Georgia waters.

Fishing guide Capt. Davis Galland reported the adult female on July 29 in the Mackay and Hampton rivers. A multi-state team from Georgia DNR, Florida FWC, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cut away the buoy, line, and trap before a storm hit. The original plan to net the animal was scrapped because a calf was nearby.

The team also attached a satellite tracking tag.“Because of this impressive team response, this female manatee and what appeared to be a dependent calf have a chance to thrive,” said Terri Calleson of USFWS. Officials called the rescue a model of collaboration to protect marine wildlife.