2nd manatee this month spotted along Grand Strand

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — A federal wildlife official is urging Grand Strand residents and boaters to be careful after a manatee was again spotted in Myrtle Beach area waters.

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports (http://bit.ly/p1uklo ) that a manatee was reported Wednesday in the Garden City Beach area, but when officials returned Thursday they couldn’t find it.

Jennifer Koches of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says officials are unsure if the animal managed to get to the ocean or traveled back down the creek.

It’s the second Grand Strand manatee sighting this month.

Koches says she’s seen three this season in the Charleston area.

She says people shouldn’t be frightened of the docile mammal. Manatees are federally protected. People are urged not to get close, and boats should idle the motor.

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Information from: The Sun News, http://www.thesunnews.com/