Manatee Found Dead On Cape May County Beach

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, NJ — A witness found a dead manatee Sunday along the Delaware Bay. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is investigating its cause of death and how it ended up there.

"We’ve had manatees in New Jersey before," said Bob Schoelkopf, the center's stranding director. "The strange part is that it’s up here this time of year."

Manatees need warm water to survive. Despite their size, they have little body fat and their metabolic rate is low compared to other marine mammals, according to Save the Manatee. They can't tolerate temperatures lower than 68 degrees, according to the organization.

The manatee on the New Jersey beach weighed an estimated 900 pounds. Schoelkopf said a manatee was recently spotted in Maryland, and this might be the same one.

Manatees are most commonly found in Florida's waters. Members of the Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory are helping with the investigation. The data will be sent to federal wildlife authorities.

To report a marine mammal or sea turtle stranding in New Jersey, call the Marine Mammal Stranding Center's 24-hour hotline at 609-266-0538. Don't email or Facebook message them to report a stranding.

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