Free Wheelie: Manatee returns to Blue Spring without tire around waist
ORANGE CITY, Fla. โ A manatee that a year ago was seen swimming around Blue Spring State Park with a bicycle tire cinching its waist has returned to the crystal clear waters free of the trap. Officials from Save the Manatee Club said Friday they donโt know how the manatee managed to shake the tire lose but they mentioned that Wheelie, as the manatee was called by the public, was struck by a boatโs propeller in February and that strike cut and weakened the tire. Also called Schwinn by researchers, the manatee now has deep scars around its midsection where the bike tire was once entangled. Wheelie the manatee now has scars from where a bike tire was stuck around its waist. Save the Manatee Club manatee research associate Cora Berchem first spotted Wheelie on Wednesday on an above-water livestreaming webcam.
Blue Spring State Park back open to visitors
Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County announced on its Facebook page it is now back open to visitors as of May 8 with limited capacity. โOnce we reach capacity, we will not allow entry to any more visitors for the rest of the day.โThe parkโs spring run is open to water activities. Restrooms in the day use area are open to visitors but the campground and cabins will remain closed for now, park officials said. The park encourages visitors to continue to practice social distancing as they welcome visitors back. Effective Friday, May 8, Blue Spring State Park is open with limited capacity.
Save the Manatee Club in need of manatee observers at Blue Spring State Park
The Save the Manatee Club, in partnership with Blue Spring State Park, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and Volusia County, is in need of volunteers to be manatee observers. The volunteer program operates from March to November at Blue Spring State Park because that is โswim seasonโ when park visitors may come in contact with manatees. The volunteers are there to โhelp prevent manatee harassment and to educate visitors about proper behavior around manatees. Two mandatory training sessions are scheduled at Blue Spring State Park on March 5 and March 14 at 10 a.m. for two to three hours. To sign up, email cberchem@savethemanatee.org with your preferred training date and whether youโd like a kayak training session.
Wheelie! Manatee with tire stuck around belly spotted again at state park
ORANGE CITY, Fla. โ A manatee with a bicycle tire wrapped around its stomach was spotted again Thursday at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City. The manatee, nicknamed Wheelie, was first seen at the park last month. A group of wildlife experts worked for days to catch the manatee but were not successful. The manatee was spotted Thursday on the Save the Manatee camera at Blue Spring State Park, and the sea cow still had the tire around its belly. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say workers have been made aware and are monitoring the situation.
Attempts to rescue manatee stuck in tire foiled by pollution, other factors
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ Crews in Volusia County faced complicated conditions Tuesday while working to capture a manatee stuck in a tire at Blue Spring State Park, according to wildlife officials. The tire poses a risk to the manatee because โthe animal is continuing to grow and the tire is not,โ park ranger Michael Watkins said. A manatee is spotted Fernandina Beach with what appears to be a bicycle tire around its belly. FWC and SeaWorld spent hours trying to rescue a manatee that has a bike tire around its waist. โThe SeaWorld Rescue team were sent out this morning to assist FWC with this rescue โ the team was not successful in getting this manatee, but we will continue our efforts when requested again by FWC,โ a SeaWorld Orlando spokesperson said.