In the days following Hurricane Idalia, many Florida animals were left disoriented and far from home. But even seasoned boaters couldn’t believe their eyes when they spotted a flash of pink far out at sea.
A team working to photograph post-storm beach erosion off Madeira Beach noticed what looked like a bird bobbing in the waves — and as they drew closer, they realized it was a flamingo struggling to stay afloat.
“They proceeded to get a closer look and realized it was a flamingo,” Kristen Davis, marketing and communications manager at SPCA Tampa Bay, told The Dodo. “As they got closer, the flamingo tried to raise its wings from the water to fly away and could not pull them out of the water. That is when they knew that the flamingo was in trouble.”
Captain Jeff Brooks and Madeira Beach commissioner Anne-Marie Brooks immediately sprang into action.
“They were worried that since the flamingo was struggling and seemed confused, it was not likely to survive if it was left alone in the water,” Davis said.
With care and precision, the pair used a net and a towel to scoop up the exhausted bird. Once aboard, the flamingo — later named Peaches — collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
SPCA Tampa Bay’s wildlife team quickly stepped in to provide temporary care before transferring Peaches to Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, where veterinary staff began treating him for dehydration and fatigue.
Now, thanks to the compassion and teamwork of everyone involved, Peaches is on the road to recovery.
“The hospital team at Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is working on getting the flamingo back to its full strength and a healthy weight for release back into the wild as soon as possible,” Davis said. “They are hopeful that the flamingo will be able to be reunited with one of the flocks in our area!”
To support more rescues like Peaches’, you can donate to SPCA Tampa Bay or Seaside Seabird Sanctuary.
