8-foot, 9-inch sea creature found in puddle at Air Force base, Florida officials say

A very unusual “intruder” used Hurricane Helene as cover to slip onto Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base, but wasn’t so lucky getting away undetected.

An 8-foot, 9-inch manatee is tough to miss on an Air Force base, particularly when it’s sitting in a puddle at the end of the runway.

The manatee was discovered Saturday, Sept. 27, one day after the hurricane moved past the Tampa area on its way north to the Panhandle.

“The manatee gained access to the base during high water during Hurricane Helene but was unable to get back to (Tampa) Bay before the water receded,” FWC officials told McClatchy News.

“Once the water recedes, some animals may become stranded on land or in lakes and ponds and require rescue.”

A rescue team pulled the male manatee from the puddle before it perished. It was given a quick check up and found to be in good health. It was then photographed, tagged and “released at the boat ramp at the base.”

Multiple manatees had to be rescued in Florida after Hurricane Helene storm surge pushed them inland, including four found Sept. 27 trapped in a small pond near a Largo funeral home.

Manatees, also known as sea cows, are aquatic mammals that can reach 13 feet and weigh more than 3,500 pounds, the state reports. They are plant-eaters that “spend up to eight hours a day grazing on seagrasses and other aquatic plants,” the FWC reports.

This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 12:01 PM with the headline "8-foot, 9-inch sea creature found in puddle at Air Force base, Florida officials say."