For the first time in recorded history, a team of marine wildlife experts rescued an entangled manatee from Georgia's coastal waters — and the emotional scene played out while the animal's dependent calf circled nearby.
The rescue began on July 29, 2026, when fishing guide Capt. Davis Galland received a report of a manatee caught in the lines and buoy of a commercial crab pot in the waters near St. Simons Island, Georgia. Galland immediately called 911, describing it as "the first time" he had ever seen such an entanglement reported in the state. What followed was a two-day, five-agency operation involving specialists from Georgia, Florida, and the federal government.
The adult female manatee was wrapped tightly in crab trap line — gear that, left in place, could have cut through skin and caused life-threatening injury. Wildlife biologist Jessica Thompson, who leads the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Marine Mammal Program, assembled a three-boat response team. The original plan was to lift the manatee onto Florida FWC's specialized rescue vessel for a full assessment, but a smaller manatee — apparently a dependent calf — remained too close for the approach to be attempted safely.
With a storm approaching, the team shifted tactics. Working by hand, they manually removed the buoy and remaining line, which was beginning to cut into the manatee's skin. The effort drew on skills developed through years of dolphin and North Atlantic right whale disentanglement work — a reminder that marine mammal rescue is a discipline built slowly, through many hard-won experiences in different ocean environments.
By the following afternoon, the manatee was completely free. The team also attached a satellite tracking tag, allowing wildlife managers to monitor her movements and recovery in the weeks ahead.
"Because of this impressive team response, this female manatee and what appeared to be a dependent calf have a chance to thrive and contribute to the wild population for years to come," said Terri Calleson, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Manatee Recovery Lead.
The rescue brought together the Georgia DNR, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute — a coalition assembled in under 24 hours for an animal that had never required rescue in Georgia before.
Monica Ross, director of Manatee Research and Conservation at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, captured the spirit of the effort: "This successful outcome reflects what can be accomplished when organizations come together with a shared commitment to protecting marine wildlife. Manatee rescues truly take a village — whether rendering emergency aid or working collaboratively toward species recovery."
Florida manatees — Trichechus manatus — are large, slow-moving marine mammals that migrate from Florida into Georgia and the Carolinas each spring and summer to feed on marsh plants and algae. They are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, and conservation work over recent decades has helped stabilize their numbers — though threats from entanglement, boat strikes, and habitat loss remain significant.
Since her rescue, the female manatee and her calf have been tracked via satellite, swimming freely through coastal waters. For the team that spent two exhausting days working to free her from a tangle of crab trap lines in open water, with a storm bearing down, the signal from that tag is all the reward they need.
