Asia Dive News : Dead Manatee washes up near Pattaya

Sattahip resident Amporn Pengjinda, out walking on Bang Sarae Beach, immediately called the Rojana Thammasatan Foundation when he saw a dead manatee laying at the water's edge. Foundation personnel said that it hadn't been dead for very long.

This species is in danger of becoming extinct. They used to be a familiar sight swimming across Sattahip Bay, but their numbers have been greatly reduced because of environmental changes. The manatee's main food is seaweed, which in the past was plentiful at Sattahip.

The manatee was measured and found to be 2.5 meters long. It weighed in at 260 kilograms. There was an open wound on the head, which was assumed to have been caused by a fishing net. Fishermen using their nets illegally in restricted areas at Bang Sarae for other breeds of fish are likely to have inadvertently caught or harmed the manatee.

The dead manatee was taken to the Fishery Department for further study and display.

Source: Pattaya Mail