Wildlife

Irma Strands Manatees

As Hurricane Irma pounded Florida over the weekend, it brought drenching rainfall and historic flooding across the state, particularly along the shoreline.

But in Sarasota Bay in Manatee County, a pair of massive manatees were temporarily left high and dry.

A unique combination of storm conditions allowed Irma to siphon water away from the shore toward the storm's center. This stranded a pair of manatees on the sand where they wallowed helplessly until a group of people came to their rescue