Pregnant manatee found in deadly cold water flown back home to Florida
Washburn is back in her home state after a thousand-mile journey.
The pregnant manatee was discovered far from her native Florida in life-threateningly cold water. The International Fund for Animal Welfare scooped the 800-pound mammal out of the coastal waters of Falmouth, Massachusetts, in late September. She waited at a private tank at Mystic Aquarium for her ride home.
READ MORE: Pregnant manatee who made it all the way to Massachusetts is coming home
The Coast Guard flew Washburn to Orlando this week in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Researchers are watching her (and her unborn calf) at SeaWorld while the wildlife agency decides when and where to release Washburn.
If you see an injured marine animal, you can help by calling the FWC hotline at 1-888-404-3922 or by dialing *FWC on a cellular device.
Alex Harris: 305-376-5005, @harrisalexc
This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Pregnant manatee found in deadly cold water flown back home to Florida."