ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) – A manatee found washed up on the southern shore of Bear Point in Orange Beach earlier this month is believed to have died from a boat strike, according to a report released Tuesday by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The organization says a resident spotted the manatee on November 1st and contacted authorities for help.

The Orange Beach Police Department and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources helped recover the manatee.

“The animal had a series of deep cuts on its back, consistent with propeller trauma,” Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN) Stranding Coordinator Mackenzie Russell explained. “Other signs of internal injury and blood loss point to a boat strike as the cause of death for this manatee,” Russell said.