Florida manatee left stranded as extreme low tide reveals hidden danger of king tides
King Tide cycles bring dangerous coastal flooding during high tides and unusually low tides that can threaten wildlife.
Record tidal flooding inundates California coast, expected to last through Thursday
Parts of the heavily populated California coast have seen record-high tidal flooding due to King Tides, including Los Angeles, with flooding expected to continue through Thursday. Several more rounds of moderate to significant beach erosion and coastal flooding are expected.
THE TAKEAWAY
- King Tides bring dangerous coastal flooding — but their unusually low tides can create hidden risks.
- Strong winds and receding water stranded a manatee on a Florida sandbar.
- Local boaters helped wildlife rescuers monitor the manatee until it safely returned to deeper water.
YANKEETOWN, Florida – King Tides have lived up to their name, bringing unusually high water levels and coastal flooding across Florida — but residents aren’t the only ones at risk, as extreme low tides threaten vulnerable wildlife.
A Florida charter captain witnessed the danger firsthand when a manatee became stranded on a popular sandbar near Yankeetown in West Florida, where the delicate sea cow spent hours exposed to the scorching sun.
Captain Katie Jo Davis said her husband, also a charter boat captain, was alerted by a fellow boater about a stranded manatee on a sandbar.
The manatee was estimated to have been stranded on the sandbar for about 4½ hours before help arrived.
(Captain Katie Jo / Facebook / FOX Weather)
The pair launched their airboat, allowing them to navigate the shallow waters left exposed by the unusually low tide, when they spotted the manatee stranded alone on the sandbar.
"Since we were in an airboat, we could ride where it was real shallow so we could see the stranded manatee," Davis told FOX Weather. "It was hard to spot at first, but we were able to get close enough that we found it."
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Following guidance from wildlife officials, the experienced boaters contacted the professionals – pinpointing the manatee’s exact location for rescuers with the University of Florida Marine Animal Rescue Program.
Stranded manatees can quickly become distressed and should be reported to wildlife rescuers rather than pushed back into the water.
(Captain Katie Jo / Facebook / FOX Weather)
Davis said the manatee was breathing heavily, appeared sluggish and had visible scratches. She added, "You could tell she was trying to push toward the water."
The couple located the manatee at roughly 11 a.m., and based on the tide’s position on the sandbar, Davis estimated the manatee had been stranded since about 6:30 a.m. during the low tide cycle.
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"We knew time was of the essence," Davis said.
Being stranded out of the water can be a death sentence for manatees.
A King Tide produced an unusually wide tidal range, while strong northeast winds pushed water away from the Yankeetown shoreline, exposing the sandbar and leaving the manatee stranded until the rising tide returned it to deeper water.
(Captain Katie Jo / Facebook / FOX Weather)
The University of Florida Marine Animal Rescue Program says stranded animals can quickly become distressed and, without timely intervention, could become fatal for the threatened species.
As the experienced fishers waited, Davis realized that the tide was rapidly rising and estimated the water would reach the manatee within two hours.
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The tide eventually filled the area, and rescuers stayed with the manatee until it was able to swim away on its own toward a nearby deep water channel.
Extreme high tides and dangerous low tides
King Tides have brought coastal flooding to Florida, posing dangerous threats to residents during high tide — but the low tide can be just as extreme.
King Tide cycles produce an unusually wide tidal range, with higher-than-normal high tides that have swamped coastal areas in Florida with dangerous flooding, while lower-than-normal low tides that can expose sandbars and shallow channels that pose a serious threat to wildlife.
Traffic navigates through flooded roadway lanes along East Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach, Florida, on October 26, 2026. High seasonal tides combined with elevated sea levels pushed saltwater through coastal drainage systems, inundating roads, slowing commuter traffic, and creating travel hazards across eastern Palm Beach County.
(Christopher Beckett/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
NOAA advises people who encounter stranded or distressed wildlife to keep their distance, avoid touching or moving the animal and immediately contact the appropriate local wildlife or marine-animal stranding network.