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Bluffton Golf Community & SCDNR save manatee that was stranded on course
STORY 1
From Bluffton Today
The holidays are right around the corner, and the Town of Bluffton is seeking entrants for its 54th Annual Christmas parade.
The holiday season in the town gets underway the first weekend in December with its parade and tree lighting events.
The tree lighting will be held Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park followed by Santa’s Workshop which will be held at the DuBois Park Pavilion. Following the workshop there will be a 6:30 p.m. showing of the movie, Arthur Christmas.
The holiday festivities will continue Dec. 6 with the town’s Christmas parade which will begin at 10 a.m. and travel through Bluffton’s Historic District.
“The Bluffton Christmas Parade, a cherished community tradition for more than five decades, continues to grow along with the town’s population,” a town spokesperson said. “With this growth, public and personal safety remain the top priority. Parade participants and spectators are asked to follow all rules outlined in the parade application to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.” Head over to Bluffton Today dot Com for high lights and guidelines for the Parade.
Story 3
From the Island Packet
What started as a routine Saturday round of golf at Crescent Pointe quickly turned into a wildlife rescue story the community won’t soon forget. Two golfers, teeing off on Hole 9 on Nov. 22, spotted something no one expected to see beached along the shoreline: a manatee. These gentle, elusive giants are no strangers to the shallow waterways of Beaufort County — but finding one stranded on a golf course is another story. The golfers immediately called the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, setting off a coordinated response that soon included Crescent Pointe staff, local residents and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’ve never seen one other than at an aquarium, so this was a first for me and for the course,” said Crescent Pointe’s Director of Marketing, Dylan DeBellis, who helped lead on-site efforts. Teeing off the rescue As soon as the call came in, General Manager Ron Schiavone worked closely with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office to secure the area and redirect golfers, so the distressed manatee could be given space. From there, the sheriff’s office maintained direct communication with SCDNR while they consulted with Florida partners to determine the safest plan.
“It was a bit high stress — we weren’t sure if it was going to make it,” DeBellis said. Under SCDNR’s guidance, Cpl. Dean Entrup with BCSO began relaying step-by-step instructions to keep the manatee stable: gently misting its skin, keeping it covered with damp towels and making sure it stayed warm enough — never too much water, and never too cold. Staff and community members stepped in to keep the manatee stable when it was stranded at Hole 9 at Crescent Pointe Golf Club. Courtesy of Crescent Pointe Golf Club DeBellis and a Crescent Pointe community member sprang into action, shuttling back and forth and hauling buckets of water to hydrate the animal until a better solution could be created.
The rescue comes during the tail end of South Carolina’s manatee season. These large marine mammals typically travel north from Florida in warmer months and can be spotted in Beaufort County between April and November, especially in sheltered areas like inlets and marinas.
By late fall and early winter, they begin their migration south, where the water stays above their survival threshold of 68 degrees. Seeing one in late November or December in South Carolina can be a sign of trouble, according to Kelly Lambert, SCDNR’s manatee response coordinator. If you spot a manatee in South Carolina waters in late fall or early winter, contact the SCDNR hotline at 1-800-922-5431.
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By Beaufort County TVSTORY 1
From Bluffton Today
The holidays are right around the corner, and the Town of Bluffton is seeking entrants for its 54th Annual Christmas parade.
The holiday season in the town gets underway the first weekend in December with its parade and tree lighting events.
The tree lighting will be held Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park followed by Santa’s Workshop which will be held at the DuBois Park Pavilion. Following the workshop there will be a 6:30 p.m. showing of the movie, Arthur Christmas.
The holiday festivities will continue Dec. 6 with the town’s Christmas parade which will begin at 10 a.m. and travel through Bluffton’s Historic District.
“The Bluffton Christmas Parade, a cherished community tradition for more than five decades, continues to grow along with the town’s population,” a town spokesperson said. “With this growth, public and personal safety remain the top priority. Parade participants and spectators are asked to follow all rules outlined in the parade application to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.” Head over to Bluffton Today dot Com for high lights and guidelines for the Parade.
Story 3
From the Island Packet
What started as a routine Saturday round of golf at Crescent Pointe quickly turned into a wildlife rescue story the community won’t soon forget. Two golfers, teeing off on Hole 9 on Nov. 22, spotted something no one expected to see beached along the shoreline: a manatee. These gentle, elusive giants are no strangers to the shallow waterways of Beaufort County — but finding one stranded on a golf course is another story. The golfers immediately called the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, setting off a coordinated response that soon included Crescent Pointe staff, local residents and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’ve never seen one other than at an aquarium, so this was a first for me and for the course,” said Crescent Pointe’s Director of Marketing, Dylan DeBellis, who helped lead on-site efforts. Teeing off the rescue As soon as the call came in, General Manager Ron Schiavone worked closely with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office to secure the area and redirect golfers, so the distressed manatee could be given space. From there, the sheriff’s office maintained direct communication with SCDNR while they consulted with Florida partners to determine the safest plan.
“It was a bit high stress — we weren’t sure if it was going to make it,” DeBellis said. Under SCDNR’s guidance, Cpl. Dean Entrup with BCSO began relaying step-by-step instructions to keep the manatee stable: gently misting its skin, keeping it covered with damp towels and making sure it stayed warm enough — never too much water, and never too cold. Staff and community members stepped in to keep the manatee stable when it was stranded at Hole 9 at Crescent Pointe Golf Club. Courtesy of Crescent Pointe Golf Club DeBellis and a Crescent Pointe community member sprang into action, shuttling back and forth and hauling buckets of water to hydrate the animal until a better solution could be created.
The rescue comes during the tail end of South Carolina’s manatee season. These large marine mammals typically travel north from Florida in warmer months and can be spotted in Beaufort County between April and November, especially in sheltered areas like inlets and marinas.
By late fall and early winter, they begin their migration south, where the water stays above their survival threshold of 68 degrees. Seeing one in late November or December in South Carolina can be a sign of trouble, according to Kelly Lambert, SCDNR’s manatee response coordinator. If you spot a manatee in South Carolina waters in late fall or early winter, contact the SCDNR hotline at 1-800-922-5431.