Rescue groups call for awareness following manatee sightings

The Gulf of Mexico is home to several species of aquatic mammals, including whales and dolphins. However, following several sightings of manatees along the Texas coastline, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TMMSN) is urging residents to be vigilant in protecting and helping these animals.

Since the beginning of 2025, more than 10 sightings of manatees have been reported in Texas Gulf Coast waters, said TMMSN Executive Director Heidi Whitehead. These animals, normally found further south in the Gulf of Mexico or in waters around Florida, have begun migrating to Texas in recent years during the summer, Whitehead explained.

“We are getting in recent years more manatee sightings. We had one just as recently as last week, so that’s definitely something we want people to be on the lookout for,” Whitehead said. “Just this year in Texas, we’ve had somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 to 15 manatee sightings already and we’re not even in the hottest period where we would expect to see them.”

Created in 1980, the TMMSN operates under a stranding agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As authorized wildlife rehabilitator and rescuer, the Galveston-based non-profit works with teams around the state to rescue, rehabilitate and research marine mammals.

“What that looks like generally is when there is a live mammal in need, usually entangled or stranded, we respond to that and bring them in for rehabilitation and eventual release into the wild if possible. We also conduct research on the dolphins all along the Texas coast and look into causes for the stranding of animals, investigating human interaction and impact on marine mammals,” Whitehead said. “We also look at diseases and things like that. We do look at these guys as bio-monitors for both human and ocean health. They can teach us a lot about what they’re dealing with in their environment as well as teach us about things we need to look out for.”

Whitehead explained that the TMMSN believes that manatees have recently become more prevalent in Texas waters due to a combination of rising water temperatures, habitat loss and food loss.

“Manatees typically reside in Florida year-round, but they do migrate to other areas during the summer. As water temperatures rise, we’ll see manatee sightings start picking up along the Texas coast. They swim all the way over here from Florida, many times using the Intracoastal Waterway. They’ll spend time here during the summer and then, the hope is they’ll head back to Florida before winter hits,” Whitehead said.

However, manatees that migrate to Texas are at increased risk of cold stress during the state’s comparatively colder winters. It’s during times like these that manatees would be in most need of help.

“Cold stress will typically look like them becoming lethargic, their skin will turn white and they will get thin. It’s just a really profound issue for them and typically does require rescue and rehabilitation. We have rescued and rehabilitated a number of manatees on the Texas coast found during the winter in previous years,” Whitehead said.

Beyond just the cold stress, Whitehead also warned Texas to avoid giving manatees fresh water or food. By doing so, she explained, it draws the manatees into areas where humans and boats are most prevalent and puts them into danger.

“Manatees typically, in summer months, will be observed feeding. They’re also very good at seeking out fresh water, which is why we ask people not to provide them with fresh water or lettuce or anything like that. Some people have seen others watering manatees with water, and manatees do love fresh water, but it’s very important to not do that since it draws them to people and ships,” Whitehead said.

Alongside manatees, the TMMSN also responds to other marine mammals more commonly found along the Texas coast. Whitehead also clarified some misconceptions about the marine life found in local waters, such as the misidentification of dolphins as porpoises.

“Typically, it’s bottlenose dolphins and large whales that get stranded on the beach and they strand for a reason; they’re usually sick or injured and can’t maintain their buoyancy, which is why it’s very important to not push them back out into the water. It’s kind of the first instinct the public has, but it is very detrimental to the animal. They can aspirate and essentially drown if you push them back out, so it’s very important to report them to the hotline right away,” Whitehead said. “Also, we do not have porpoises; these are all dolphins. We do not have any porpoises and we believe that started from fishermen trying to differentiate between dolphinfish and dolphins in the bay.”

Calhoun County is no stranger to beached or stranded animals; according to Whitehead, the TMMSN recently had to rescue a stranded dolphin near the mouth of the Colorado River near Matagorda Beach last June. She also recounted a rescue of a dolphin calf near Port O’Connor in 2024.

“We do occasionally see some that are out-of-habitat. Typically, we see those after major storm events and hurricanes. We had one down in Port O’Connor last August after hurricane Beryl; it was a mom calf that had been washed inland a bit into a landlocked lake essentially,” Whitehead said. “The mom actually ended up passing away and a fisherman saw her on the shoreline dead and the calf swimming alone. We were able to put some teams together to get the calf and the calf went into rehabilitation. There were a lot of people in the area coming together to make that rescue happen, from local fishing guides to the teams we brought in alongside Seaworld and sea turtle teams.”

Most of all, reporting stranded animals and following instructions from trained professionals was the most important thing the public could do for any mammal, Whitehead said.

“Report mammals and don’t push them back into the water. That’s the most important thing the public can do,” Whitehead said.

For more information on the TMMSN, visit Dolphinrescue.org. To report a dead or stranded animal on the beach, call 1-800-962-6625.