A rare but beloved sea creature caused construction crews near Corpus Christi to temporarily stop work on a $64 million construction project, according to Texas Department of Transportation officials. Construction crews working to upgrade the ramps and landings at the Port Aransas ferry had to stop working for a few hours after a West Indian manatee was spotted in the water late last month.
The herbivorous animals, which are native to the coastal waters of Florida, are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, making it unlawful to interact with them. Those protections are what prompted contractors from Russell Marine, who are working for TxDOT, to temporarily put a pause on their work until the docile animal moseyed on its way.
“TxDOT works to be a good steward of the environment, protecting wildlife that are potentially affected by projects. That meant, TxDOT crews knew what to do when they saw the majestic sea cow swimming nearby,” TxDOT officials stated in a September 2 news release.
Russell Marine reported the manatee sighting and held off on construction for several hours until the manatee headed “west toward Corpus Christi Bay,” the news release reads. The manatee appeared to be in good condition and “was not in visible distress,” TxDOT said…