FLORIDA — Florida manatees are dying in record numbers from starvation, and critical care rescue and rehabilitation centers in Florida are running out of room due to demand. SeaWorld and Georgia Aquarium announced yesterday that two juvenile orphaned manatees were transferred from SeaWorld’s Rescue Center in Orlando to Georgia Aquarium to continue their rehabilitation.
Georgia Aquarium has now joined the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) to provide additional expert care and facilities for manatees in need. SeaWorld and Georgia Aquarium have been involved in a multi-year partnership for marine animal rescue and conservation. Yesterday’s news extends the species focus to now include manatees.
The first two manatees last week arrived at the Aquarium’s Animal Care Facility, an off-site center focused on caring for rescued animals, from SeaWorld Orlando for ongoing care until they are deemed healthy enough for release back into Florida waters, SeaWorld Orlando has announced.
The orphaned juveniles, a 160-pound male and 175-pound female, who are currently unnamed, were rescued by SeaWorld in December and have received rehabilitative care since then.
The female calf was only 124 pounds when she was found suffering from cold stress in Blue Springs, and the male was only 126 pounds when he was found with a deceased female, likely his mother, near Port St. John power plant.
The two are now stable and have moved to the next phase of their recovery.
The addition of the Georgia Aquarium to the MRP frees up urgently needed space in SeaWorld’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, one of only five U.S. critical care facilities, which is becoming increasingly limited due to the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event (UME).
In 2021, 1,101 manatees died across Florida, primarily from starvation due to loss of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon, a result of pollution and ongoing poor water quality issues. In the first two months of 2022, another 375 manatees already have perished. Other challenges manatees face include cold stress and boat strikes.
“The fight to save manatees amidst this record-breaking unusual mortality event requires a great deal of commitment and collaboration from all of our dedicated partners,” said Jon Peterson, VP of Zoological Operations at SeaWorld Orlando, head of SeaWorld Orlando Rescue Team and chairman of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership.
“We sincerely value the long-standing partnership we’ve had with Georgia Aquarium and look forward to working together to advance marine animal conservation for years to come.”
The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) is a cooperative group of entities dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, release, and monitoring of manatees.
As part of this partnership, Georgia Aquarium designated additional rehabilitation space at its Animal Care Facility, which boasts new life support systems, access to veterinary care and monitoring, and ample space.
The manatees being cared for by Georgia Aquarium will not be on display to the public. This facility is an additional recovery care space for manatees until they are healthy enough for release, and for other animals in need of rehabilitation or quarantine.
“Georgia Aquarium has been involved in manatee research and health assessments for several years, but this is the first time we will have manatees under our care,” said Eric Gaglione, VP of Zoological Operations at Georgia Aquarium.
“We have an important long-standing partnership with SeaWorld for the conservation of marine animals and are honored to join them and our other colleagues in the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership to give these two orphaned manatees a fighting chance. Manatees are in crisis, and it is our role as an accredited aquarium to do everything we can to change their fate in the wild.”
Once the manatees have reached sufficient size and become healthy enough to survive on their own, they will be returned to the care facility at SeaWorld Orlando before being returned to their native habitats in Florida.
“Responding to manatees in need has always been and will always be a priority, especially during the Unusual Mortality Event that has taken so many manatee lives over the past two years,” said Gil McRae, Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
“We are grateful to have a loyal coalition of partners like SeaWorld and Georgia Aquarium who work tirelessly to ensure that every manatee has the best possible chance at survival.”
