Until Sweet Pea came along, however, they had never before identified the same manatee on both coasts. Such travels, however, probably have occurred because studies show east and west coast manatees are genetically the same, Weigle said. Another manatee renowned for his travels was dubbed Chessie after he showed up in Chesapeake Bay in 1994 and was flown back to Florida. Last year, he again swam north as far as Rhode Island but made it back to Florida on his own for the winter. Chessie this summer was spotted as far north as Annapolis, Md., but he lost his transmitter and scientists are unsure of his whereabouts.
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