This morning, however, was different. As we hurried to the edge of our canal, commotion and splashing could be heard from the water a short distance away. Being curious children, we walked over to see that what looked like a small whale was partially washed up in the corner of the canal.
How did it get here? Was it stuck? What do we do?
We ran back home to tell our parents and my dad quickly followed us back to investigate. We learned that the neighbors had already called the Marine Mammal Conservancy and marine biologists should arrive soon. In my head, I imagined someone in a scuba suit with a cape, but much to my surprise, it was simply two men and a woman in bathing suits who showed up. Marine Biologists, I remember thinking, are very casual marine mammal superheroes.
After arriving, two of the biologists immediately got into the water to assess the animal. It was a pilot whale with a severe injury from a boat strike who was having trouble breathing and staying afloat. They asked for people to help to keep its blowhole above water, and without hesitating, my father jumped right in. Being too small to offer much help in that moment, I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be able to help these animals.
When college came around, I chose Florida International University because it offered a B.S. in Marine Biology and because the Marine Biology campus was located on Biscayne Bay, which I assumed meant I would get hands on experience. I quickly found that I had to seek these hands on experiences for myself and the best source I found was to ask graduate students if they needed volunteers. Spoiler alert, graduate students ALWAYS need volunteers.
During my time as an undergraduate and after graduation, I assisted in tagging bull sharks, maintaining coral reef tanks, breeding fish for experiments, zipping around the Everglades in helicopters and airboats, and even got the opportunity to do some electrofishing throughout the Everglades.
My life came full circle in the spring and summer of 2011 when I attended a training at the Marine Mammal Conservancy to assist in stranding events, and was subsequently called upon to volunteer to hold a sick pilot whale just enough above water so that it could breathe. The first night I arrived for my shift, I knew that if little Sabrina could see me now, she would be so proud. Fast forward to present day, and the little girl who watched in shock as a beautiful creature suffered from irresponsible boating is now an Environmental Specialist with Broward County's Manatee Protection Program, advocating on behalf of manatees
All these years later, I am happy to report that I never wavered from my dream of helping marine mammals.
BROWARD'S MANATEES
Many manatees from the southern Atlantic region migrate south into Broward County's warm coastal waters during the winter. As the manatees from the north arrive, the number of sea cows using South Florida waters may increase by 30 to 40 times to well over 1,000 animals. Manatees can often be found feeding on seagrass that only grow in shallow waters, floating vegetation in canals, along the canal banks, or on trees such as mangroves overhanging the canals. Residential and side canals provide resting and birthing places for manatees.
Canals with water control structures such as the Pompano Canal, Middle River, North Fork New River, North New River Canal, and Dania Cutoff Canal are sources of freshwater and freshwater aquatic vegetation on which manatees may feed, and these canals may serve as a secondary source of warm water in winter creating passive thermal basins when the water is warmed by the sun during the day and cools slowly at night. Manatees can go up to 2 weeks without drinking freshwater, and though they prefer not to, they can also drink brackish and saltwater.
During the time between cold fronts, manatees can be found in just about any waterway in the County at any given time. As winter comes to an end, the majority of manatees in South Florida travel back north to their favorite warm season haunts, though some can be found in our waters all year round.
