ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996                TAG: 9608230083
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-5  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH

MEANDERING MANATEE GOING HOME?

Crabbers along the Elizabeth River may be the latest people to see Chessie, the wayward manatee that likes to head north during the summer.

Crabbers said they saw a large sea animal wearing a radio-tag harness on Sunday. Chessie, weighing about 1,200 pounds, is probably the only tagged manatee north of Georgia, said the Sirenia Project, which monitors manatees for the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Chessie lost a radio transmitter used to track it by satellite July 10. At that time it was near Beaufort, N.C. About two weeks ago, a sea animal matching Chessie's description was seen in Chesapeake Bay.

A team from the National Aquarium in Baltimore searched for Chessie by air and water but was unable to confirm the sighting.

Chessie may be headed back to Florida, the Sirenia Project said.

Chessie gained prominence in 1994 when it became the first confirmed manatee to enter Chesapeake Bay. That year, it was flown back to Florida when the bay's water cooled.

Last year, Chessie was seen as far north as Rhode Island before swimming south on its own.

Up to 2,000 manatees live along the United States, most off Florida. Some migrate as far north as the Carolinas, but they usually stick to southern seas because they cannot live long in cold temperatures.

- Associated Press

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