Cape Cod

Manatee Resurfaces Off Cape Cod

It's been a wild summer for Cape Cod wildlife

A manatee that has been spotted off the coast of Cape Cod this summer resurfaced in Harwich on Thursday.

The Harwich Harbormaster's Office confirms that the manatee was spotted on Thursday in Harwich. Signs have been put up warning boaters about the manatee.

The harbormaster took several photos of the aquatic mammal at Saquatucket Harbor. It was also spotted in Barnstable and Chatham earlier this summer.

According to the Cape Cod Times, wildlife officials may attempt to assess the manatee's condition and see if it needs to be rescued. The animals typically don't fare well in water temperatures below 68 degrees, and the water temperatures this week have been around 70 degrees.

Manatees typically reside in warmer waters off Florida, but eight years ago a manatee was spotted off Dennis. It was removed from the water and taken to SeaWorld in Florida, but it died soon after.

This has been one wild summer for Cape Cod wildlife, with hundreds of great white shark spottings that resulted in some beach closures, an orca sighting, and now the manatee visit.

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