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Rare Manatee Sighting In Berkeley County Caught On Camera

by Nikki Gaskins Campbell
Credit: Brenda Burbage

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – A day on the river catching fish led to one woman and her family running into some gentle giants along the way.

Brenda Burbage and her family were cruising along in their pontoon boat Friday around 2 p.m. on the Tailrace Canal in Moncks Corner when they came across a rare sighting: manatees!

“I was going to turn in the Berkeley Country Club, and they were going that way inside. They stayed in the shallow waters for at least three hours,” Burbage told The Berkeley Observer.

At least 11 manatees hovered closely around Burbage’s boat, giving her the opportunity to snap a few photos.

“My granddaughter, Madison, couldn’t believe it,” Burbage said.

Credit: Brenda Burbage

According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, manatees have been observed in South Carolina since 1850. 

Considered rare visitors to the Palmetto State, manatees are large marine mammals that reach around 10 feet in length and weigh up to a ton.

Manatees typically arrive in South Carolina in May and leave by November when water temperatures drop below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, SCDNR officials said.

Because of the difficulty of counting them in murky waters, SCDNR officials say South Carolina’s manatee population is currently unknown – but it’s a small fraction of the United States’ estimated 6,600 animals, most of which live in Florida.

Credit: Brenda Burbage

Due to federal and state protections, it’s illegal to hunt, play with or harass manatees, which includes touching, providing water to or attempting to feed them, according to DNR.

SCDNR offers the following tips for being “manatee friendly” in South Carolina:

  • Dock owners should never feed manatees or give them fresh water. This could teach the animals to approach docks, putting them at greater risk of a boat strike, and it is illegal.
  • Never pursue, harass or play with manatees. It is bad for the manatees and is illegal.
  • Boaters should look around for manatees before cranking your boat’s motor and watch for large swirls in the water, or “footprints,” that may be caused by manatees diving away from the boat.
  • Heed “slow speed,” “no wake” and manatee warning signs, especially around docks. Use caution when navigating in shallow water and along the edge of a marsh. Manatees cannot dive away from boats in these areas.
  • Wear polarized sunglasses to reduce glare, making it easier to spot manatees below the surface.

To report a live manatee sighting in South Carolina, complete the manatee sighting form. With your help, SCDNR said it can use this information to identify individual manatees.
Nikki Gaskins Campbell
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