The deputy minister in charge of coastal marine resources at the Ministry of Environment Jose Ramon Reyes calls the attention to surfers in Macao, La Altagracia province to care for the manatees that may appear in the area. A video showing Lupita, the manatee who was rescued after being injured and was cared for at the National Aquarium in Santo Domingo, swimming near people in Macao beach is a matter of concern. The video shows a surfer in the Macao beach riding Lupita. The deputy minister urges the surfers or those encountering the manatees to not touch her not ride the docile manatees.
The video of the surfer riding the manatee in Macao has gone viral. The deputy minister used his Twitter account to raise awareness, saying that the mammal was indeed Lupita, who was released back to the sea at the end of June 2021. Another manatee who had also been rescued and lived at the National Aquarium, Juanita, was found lifeless in Isabela River, not surviving her release. A third manatee that was cared for at the Aquarium, Pepe is also known to be alive.
“Attention surfers, that is Lupita, the manatee who spent two years in captivity, please do not touch her and do not climb on top of her,” Reyes asked in his social media message. He reminded that manatees are endangered marine mammals and that they can transmit diseases to people and vice versa. “Let’s enjoy this gift of nature, let’s protect it!” the deputy minister urged.
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13 July 2023