Manatee Spotted in Cape Cod Waters

BARNSTABLE, MA — A manatee is spending its summer vacation on Cape Cod. At least one manatee was spotted in recent days trolling the waters of Barnstable and Chatham.

Manatees are concentrated in Florida but have been known to visit Massachusetts waters in the summer. They also have been known to fan out as far west as Texas.

Cape Cod residents reported seeing a manatee in Chatham in Oyster Pond and in Barnstable in East Bay, according to My Fishing Cape Cod.

And while there's currently a large great white shark presence in Cape Cod waters, the predators generally don't target manatees because of their size. Manatees grow about 12 feet long and weigh about 3,500 pounds. Great white sharks primarily feed on seals.

Humans are a bigger threat to manatees — especially boaters who often unknowingly strike them with propellers. Manatees spend a lot of time at the surface searching for vegetation to eat.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service