E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
Authorities released this photo of a woman reportedly riding a manatee.
A woman who police said was seen touching and riding a manatee in Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas, Fla., over the weekend turned herself in to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Bay Times reported.
Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez, 52, told police Tuesday that she wasn't aware what she did was against the law, the report said.
Witnesses gave authorities her description and photos of her riding the sea cow, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. She was seen riding the manatee at 1 p.m. Sunday in the water north of Gulf Pier, authorities said.
Also on NBCMiami.com: 3 hospitalized after wrong-way crash on I-95
Gutierrez was not arrested or charged, but the charges were referred to the state attorney's office, according to the Times.
The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Acts states that: "It is unlawful for any person at any time, by any means, or in any manner intentionally or negligently to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb or attempt to molest, harass, or disturb any manatee."
Authorities say the penalty for the woman could be up to 60 days in jail and a possible fine of $500.
Authorities don't believe any manatees were injured.
"It's a wild animal. It's not something to be ridden," Susan Butler, a manatee expert with the U.S. Geological Survey in Gainesville, told the Times. "I can't say that as a biologist I would ever, ever condone that, or say that (the manatee) wanted them to do that."
This article includes reporting by Lisa Orkin Emmanuel, NBCMiami.com, and NBC News staff.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Veterans angle for a overdue shout out during tonight's debate
- Report: Homeland Security 'fusion' centers spy on citizens, produce 'shoddy' work
- Video: Dangling base jumper rescued from cliff
- VA weeks, months late paying student veterans
- Lawsuit seeks to block California ban on 'gay cure' therapy for children
Leave a Comment:
She won't be charged you have to have intent to commit a crime.
manatee!!! The other white meat! They're not indigenous to the state of Florida. I often spear the crafty little guy's. They taste like chicken
She probably had her load on and when it swam up next to her she just thought it would be fun.
Apparently she didn't know she was threatening civilization as we know it.
Imagine that manatee could have bit her head off her shoulders. That would have been a disgusting site.
This story was posted to direct our attention away from knowing how violent the muslim community is.
Witnesses gave authorities her description and photos of her riding the sea cow <~~ I suspect many of these witnesses feed aligators...and have way too much time on their hands.
A sea cow riding a sea cow!
I don't think A tripple G meant any harm. She even turned herself in. I think it was just ignorance on her part. No harm, no foul.
A sea cow riding a sea cow!
The manatee was obviously swimming upside down. They were mating! No abuse there as they both enjoyed it. The resulting offspring will mature to adulthood in 3 to 4 years. Depending on the number of inter species breeding, they will help make up an army of voters for our nation's liberal agendas.
in a way i am relieved. i thought about something else when i read the headline. that would have been news!
its not like she was punching it in the face, people do it with dolphins all the time, she just didn't know, and seems like she learned a lesson. really no need to freak out guys.
TB Texas did Maureen make the comments listed or are they just random comments?
It's getting to where a girl can't even ride a manatee without getting in trouble...sheesh!
Manatee's are cool critters. Had one come around the marina a while back, she had a calf in tow. I was changing a propeller on my boat when the light disappeared and I heard this crazy squeaking sound. I popped my head up to see what was going on only to find my teenage son on deck with a garden hose squirting water into the canal. As I looked I saw a baby manatee come back up and grab the hose and my sons hand and pull them to it's mouth, my son was feeding the thirsty baby a drink of water, and did it want water! I pet the manatee baby while mom swam around us and then they just meandered back up the canal and out of sight.
My question to Maureen is should I be hung or shot, arrested or all the above?
No surprises there.
Save the Tuna!!!!
I would've done the same thing, the riding that it, not the turning myself in. How are people supposed to know which animals you're allowed to touch and which you're not? The law was obviously meant to protect the animal, but did she really do anything wrong? And she turned herself in so the state will collect some money now (the animal won't see a dime), so who's the criminal here?
Is it ok to touch/ride Dolphin, whales, sharks, where's the memo because I didn't get it. Ignorance is supposed to be no excuse, but come one people, there are sooo many laws now that even the police and judges have to look things up and even argue as to whether your little crime illegal or not. I actually talked my way out of a ticket once because I asked the officer to prove to me that I broke the law, so he pulled out a HUGE book from his trunk, and after a lengthy search thru thousands if not millions of bs laws he finally gave up and let me go... I was in violation and I knew it, but he wasn't 100% sure so I tested two theories, one; could I get away with it, and two; how the hell, even for cops can anyone know all this stuff that everyone is supposed to know. Is absolutely impossible to know yet we're punished for not knowing, welcome to America...
She should have said it was threatening her! Stand your ground laws would have covered it! I mean, manatees are
blackbig!i truly laugh my butt off reading these post and yes the question (have you ever been a manatee) should become the next -catch phrase- craze. with all the suffering the horses in this country have been going through and still are. this story really pales. yes, the human species is most capable of showing and being the most intelligent of all species on this planet. we just seem to always fall short when and where it's needed most. in the mean time i'll just continue reading and laughing in this spiraling out of control world. good luck to you all and see you on the other side, of what i don't know.
Unfortunately - you are correct. It reminds me of the current class of tourist, who go to the National Parks, carrying hi-powered, large chambered, custom-made, handguns. A recent "attack" which allowed the boyfriend of a young lady to defend her by shooting and killing a lone Grizzly Bear. He claimed "self-defence"... the problem? ...Several other hikers had past down the same trail, saw the bear in the distance - changed their course to give the bear a wide berth. "Mr. I've Gotta Gun" - didn't feel the need to respect the bears primacy - in its territory. The reult was the unecessary killing of a bear - in a National Park. The Park is set aside as a home for wild things - visitors are allowed, as observers not as "Accidental Poachers".!
Bears in national Parks tradionally avoid people... you pretty much have to invade their space for them to attack.
Manatee... don't bother anyone. All they ask is patch of seagrass and a quiet bank to sun on every once in a while.
Florida? ... Again!... It must be something they put in the water? Mantee's are peacefu; - they have not gotten a reputation for harming humans ... in any way. Although - many have been maimed or killed by people.
Leave them alone, they don't bother anyone. They are about as dangerous as a snail or slug.