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Stephen Petrucci, of Walpole, saw a manatee off the dock of his summer home in Mashpee on July 26. Experts say the manatee will have to be found and taken to Florida.Stephen Petrucci<\/p>\nOn July 29, Burke said the manatee beached itself early in the morning near Mattapoisett, but bystanders were able to help it back into deeper water.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s basically out of its optimal thermal environment now,\u201d said Nadine Lysiak, a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of concern that its health will deteriorate if it stays in these northern waters for a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Petrucci, 32, of Walpole, saw the animal on July 26 when it emerged from the water \u201ca foot away\u201d from the dock of his summer house in Mashpee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was confused at first because I didn\u2019t know what I was looking at,\u201d he said in a phone interview Thursday. \u201cBut after a few seconds I was shocked because I realized it was a manatee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Petrucci, of Walpole, saw a manatee off the dock of his summer home in Mashpee on July 26. Experts say the manatee will have to be found and taken to Florida.Stephen Petrucci<\/p>\n
Manatees are solitary creatures, said Lysiak. Their natural habitat centers around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, where waters are suitably warm – around 72 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you also may just have individuals who feel like going for a wander and get too far north,\u201d she said, \u201cand then [they] get into a situation where they might become cold-stunned and have some health and physiological challenges where they need some intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n
The current whereabouts of the manatee, who does not yet have a name, are unknown, said Burke. She encouraged people to call IFAW, at (508)-743-9548, if they see the animal.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur waters are really on the edge of their temperature limits,\u201d she said. \u201cAs soon as the water temps drop, they start to not do so well.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t a lot for them to eat around here,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n