Manatee poop causes brief park closure

Oct

2009

Written by Robby Douglas

VERO BEACH — Humiston Park Beach reopened after a couple of hours of feces scooping Thursday.

The culprit wasn’t four-legged, but instead has flippers, Indian River County officials said.

Manatees are responsible for what may have been a mile-long stretch of excrement that piled up along the beach. Late Thursday afternoon, more manatee mess was spotted at Tracking Station Beach Park, officials said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve lived along beaches all my life,” said Bill Becker, who goes to Humiston several times a week. “It was disgusting, but mystifying. It looked like Great Dane poop all along the beach.”

Becker and other beachgoers discovered the hundreds of piles along Humiston early Wednesday evening. He speculated the source was other types of animals or possibly a septic tank spill, he said.