Texas crew halts $64 million construction project over rare manatee sighting

A rare wildlife encounter with a West Indian manatee and an environmentally aware crew temporarily halted a $64 million ferry project on the Texas Gulf Coast this summer.

“TxDOT crews knew what to do when they saw the majestic sea cow swimming nearby,” according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The project upgrading ramps and landings for the Port Aransas ferry system, was stopped immediately when construction crews saw the endangered and federally protected manatee near the job site.

Texas DOT officials said the manatee, which was not in distress, lingered for several hours near the ferry operations before heading west toward Corpus Christi Bay.

After the manatee moved out of the area, construction resumed.

“TxDOT has made environmental stewardship a key focus of its statewide operations, incorporating wildlife crossings for ocelots, bat houses under bridges, and other initiatives to minimize harm to native species,” the department said. 

The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TXMMSN) said it received multiple sightings of manatees this summer, including in Surfside, Quintana and Port Aransas.

“These gentle West Indian Manatees usually spend winters in Florida, but sometimes migrate all the way to Texas in summer,” according to the TXMMSN.

According to Texas Tech University’s Natural Science Research Laboratory, West Indian manatees can be found in rivers, estuaries and coastal areas from the southeastern U.S., along Central America and the West Indies to the northern coast of South America.

However, the Laboratory said manatees are “exceedingly rare in Texas waters.”

Anyone who spots a manatee can report it to the Stranding Network by calling 1-800-9MAMMAL (1-800-962-6625) with the date/time, location (GPS if possible), a description and photos or videos from a safe distance.