The Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center (CCMC), based at the Interamerican University, confirmed on Thursday that a male manatee who lived 50 years in Puerto Rico’s waters died after being struck by a boat. Marks on his tail identified him as 'Caribe', a manatee evaluated decades earlier by Dr. Antonio Mignucci and biologists with the US Geological Survey as part of the Proyecto Sirenia.
The 10-foot animal was found at the Port of Yabucoa. A necropsy showed severe injuries consistent with a large vessel striking his cranial region, along with severe gastrointestinal parasitism and significant injuries in multiple organs. The center said the death is considered multifactorial, with the boat strike as the primary cause in an animal with preexisting chronic health conditions that may have increased his vulnerability.
He may be the longest-lived manatee documented on the island. The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) says the species is endangered, hunting and capture are prohibited by law in Puerto Rico, and an estimated 600 to 700 manatees live in the archipelago, concentrated partly in the Jobos Bay Estuarine Research Reserve between Guayama and Salinas.
The CCMC called on boaters to navigate with caution and urged anyone finding an injured, stranded or orphaned manatee to call 911 or the DRNA rangers corps.