A herd of manatees has been spotted this week in the Inter-coastal Waterway between Hampstead and Wrightsville Beach.
Officials with a local animal hospital say they have been seen feeding by docks and banks where waterway traffic tends to be heavier, and because they are tough to see above water, they’re asking boaters to watch carefully for the “sea cows” that visit North Carolina when the water warms up.
Manatees are also a federally protected species, and any attempt to interact with them is illegal, so people are asked not to feed or try to swim with them.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Program at UNC-Wilmington asks people that see a manatee report it – the form to make that report is available here: https://uncw.edu/research/major-programs/marine-mammal-stranding/manatee-sighting
