Florida's Missing Manatee Mystery Continues Times 2

The search for two “missing” manatees continues in the Sunshine State with wildlife officials asking residents to keep their eyes open for the critters and to report any sightings.

The first manatee on the MIA list is “Stokes.”

Back in May, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission posted a request on Facebook for folks to keep an eye out for him. Stokes reportedly lost his tag and tether and was believed to be swimming near the Ortega River with just a belt on.

As of Thursday, Stokes remained on the MIA list, wildlife officials reported.

Stokes hasn’t been spotted since May 31, Diane Hirth, FWC spokesman, said. Even so, his tracking belt was found in the middle of the St. Johns River on June 4. The search for him continues.

On the state’s west coast, residents are being asked to keep their eyes peeled when they’re on the water for “Burnie.” She’s an 8-foot, 875-pound, one-flippered manatee who also had her tracking tag either break or come off.

See Also:

• Missing: 875-Pound, 1-Flippered Manatee

Now the Sea to Shore Alliance is trying to find Burnie and Stokes.

Burnie may or may not be wearing the tracking belt, tether and tag, officials say. It’s also possible just the belt remains. Residents who do spot the one-flippered manatee are asked to avoid touching her though. A call to wildlife officials will suffice.

“It is very important that citizens not touch the manatee or its tag,” a media release from Sea to Shore stated. “The tag is harmless to the animal and removing it can actually comprise the animal’s well-being.”

The gear Burnie was wearing for tracking costs an estimated $5,000.

Burnie is a bit of a Bay area celebrity. She was found in 2013 after her left flipper was entangled in a crab trap. That entanglement ultimately led to the flipper’s amputation. The critter was taken to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for treatment and spent a year there before she was released into the Orange River in January 2015.

Anyone who spots Burnie or any other manatee that appears distressed or injured is asked to call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922. Residents may also call *FWC from their cellular phones or #FWC.

To find out more about the Sea to Shore Alliance, visit the nonprofit organization’s website.

Photo of a manatee with a tracking belt courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission