Several manatees spotted off S.C. coast
Boaters encouraged to be aware, be careful around rare animals.

Associated Press

CHARLESTON - More than a dozen manatees have been spotted off South
Carolina's coast this month, and the state's wildlife department says
boaters should be cautious when they see the endangered species.

Most of the rare, 1,000-pound mammals have been seen in or near Charleston
Harbor, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The manatees
are coming north from Florida to graze on spartina and other underwater
plants.

The manatees are usually seen in the shallow waters where they feed, with
many of them spotted around marinas, said state biologist Tom Murphy.

"Any time you have manatee in the area, you should use common sense and go
slow," he said.

There are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 manatees, and each year they are
threatened by motorboat propellers and toxic, nutrient-related red tides.

The secret to spotting one might be dripping water, which seems to attract
them, said Joan Seithel, a Natural Resources worker who handles sighting
calls. "People frequently see them when they are washing their boats," she
said.

The department gets about 100 sighting reports a year, most of them near the
harbor, Beaufort or Hilton Head Island.

MaryLou and Richard Thomson were watching seven or eight dolphins this month
near Mount Pleasant when they spotted a manatee. A pair emerged among the
dolphins and lolled within 10 feet of their boat.

"We just saw this kind of blob slowly coming out of the water," Richard
Thomson said. "It's a unique experience, one of those experiences that just
suddenly comes on you. It was beautiful."

Several days later Gary Ponder, Mount Pleasant's staff engineer, saw what
could've been the same pair.

"Two noses just poked up out of the water. We didn't realize what it was at
first," he said.

The pair did swirling back rolls and disappeared. "It was pretty awesome,"
Ponder said.
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We Floridians have been fighting with the manatee huggers for several years.
We've made terrific headway with the state, but the Feds haven't budged.
Hopefully our fellow boaters in SC will join the fight once they start
seeing their waterways shut down too.

Next thing you know, they'll be in Chesapeake Bay. Just think...slow speed
zone outside of any marked channel...and slow speed zone within 1/2 mile of
shore.

It's commmmmming!