Manatee Death Toll Tops 100

A record number of endangered Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) have died as a result of the 13 days of record cold in early Janaury. These photos were made at Blue Spring, in Orange City, Florida, very near our home. Despite the relatively warm weather over the past two weeks the spring (which remains 72 F. (22 C.) year-round) is full of manatees seeking shelter.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that more than 100 dead manatees have been recovered and the more are found daily.

At least 77 adult manatee deaths have been attributed to cold stress syndrome, a condition caused by prolonged exposure to cold water.

The white marks on the manatees are scars from collisions with pleasure boats.



The wildlife commission asks anyone who spots a dead or distressed manatee to call its wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

In other news: Blog readers have asked how my large Mango Tree is doing since the cold weather. The Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is looking . . . well. . . not so good. Pictured below, looking out the kitchen window, the tree has obviously frozen. In the foreground are many juvenile mango trees in pots that I had safely tucked inside the house during the freeze. If the large tree dies I will start anew with the trees I have in pots.