NEW HANOVER COUNTY — A large sea creature made an unexpected appearance near Masonboro Island last week. The North Carolina Coastal Reserve tweeted today that a manatee had been spotted near the island.
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As waters stay warmer longer, the N.C. Coastal Reserve said unusual sightings like this are becoming more common. The slow-moving mammals can be found in estuaries, slow-moving rivers where seagrass beds and freshwater vegetation grows.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manatees should be concentrated in Florida in the winter.
During summer months, manatees can be found all the way up in Massachusetts and as far west as Texas. Average water temperature near Wrightsville Beach, according to the National Weather Service, is 67 degrees for the first week of November. Today’s water temperature on is about 72 degrees according to the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association.
