The above video is our WITN+ livestream and may not reflect the content in this story.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) – The North Carolina Aquariums is asking people who see manatees on the coast to report them.
From spring through fall, Florida manatees can be found on North Carolina’s coast, according to a press release. As temperatures drop, the water is too cold for the animals, and those who do not migrate back to Florida may develop cold stress syndrome.
Over the past 32 years, there have been 17 dead manatee strandings, most of them due to cold stress, the press release stated.
The manatees face other threats, according to NC Aquariums, including harmful algal bloom toxins, habitat loss due to nutrient runoff, boat strikes, and entanglement in fishing gear.
Under the Endangered Species Act, Florida manatees are threatened, the NC Aquariums said.
If you spot a live manatee, you should call your area hotline listed below and complete an online form.
Copyright 2026 WITN. All rights reserved.
