VIDEO: Cooler Temperatures Give SeaWorld Chance To Return Rehabilitated Manatees

By  //  January 20, 2016

marks 500th manatee returned by seaworld

ABOVE VIDEO: The reason manatees are returned during cooler weather is because other wild manatees naturally congregate in specific warm water sources during these periods. Doing this allows the new animals to acclimate to a larger group, from which they can learn migratory patterns once the weather warms up. (SeaWorld video)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Four rescued and rehabilitated manatees were returned back to their natural water ways by a large group of Florida’s marine mammal experts, including SeaWorld Animal Rescue Team,  Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and Miami Seaquarium in a multi-organization effort led by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). 

The two animals released by SeaWorld were particularly special, including the 500 manatee rescued by the park, and an animal that was rescued two years ago as a tiny, 121-pound orphan and now weighs a whopping 705 pounds.

The manatees were returned near the warm water outfall of Port St. John power plant in Brevard County to provide them with a warm water site during the current cold snap. There, the naïve animals can link up with experienced wild manatees that are also seeking refuge from chilly waters.

The reason manatees are returned during cooler weather is because other wild manatees naturally congregate in specific warm water sources during these periods.  Doing this allows the new animals to acclimate to a larger group, from which they can learn migratory patterns once the weather warms up.

It also allows the newly-released manatees to familiarize themselves with a specific warm water site to return to the next time temperatures cool down.

VIDEO: 24 Sea Turtles Rescued From New England, Receive Life-Saving Flight To SeaWorld OrlandoRelated Story:
VIDEO: 24 Sea Turtles Rescued From New England, Receive Life-Saving Flight To SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando and the other Florida zoological facilities work closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to determine when a manatee is ready to be returned as well as the proper time and location for the return to take place.

SeaWorld Rehabilitated Manatees Returned:

• Quincentariat- This juvenile male manatee was rescued on May 10, 2014 from the Banana River in Cape Canaveral due to cold stress.  He was the 500th manatee rescued by the SeaWorld Orlando Animal Rescue Team.  At the time of rescue he weighed 286 pounds, measuring 6 feet in length. The healthy manatee now weighs over 735 pounds, measuring more than 8 feet long.

• Shirley- The orphan female calf was rescued on January 28, 2014 from the De Soto Canal in Brevard County. At the time of rescue she weighed 121 pounds and measured 4 feet 8 inches in length. The healthy and independent manatee now weighs 705 pounds and measures 7 feet 8 inches long.

Additional Rehabilitated Manatees Returned:

• Hammock- A young male patient named “Hammock” was rescued in March of 2014 from Indian River as an orphan, and will now receive a second chance at life in the wild after nearly two years of rehabilitation at the Manatee Hospital at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.

• Abigail- In March 2013, Abigail was rescued from the Indian River system near Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida. Suffering from cold stress, Abigail received critical care at Sea World Orlando and then was transferred to Cincinnati Zoo for rehabilitation.  Then, in October of 2015, Abigail arrived at Miami Seaquarium to become acclimated to the natural diet and brackish water found in the region.  She is estimated to weigh approximately 700-800 pounds and estimated to be between 3-5 years old.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS

The manatees were returned near the warm water outfall of Port St. John power plant in Brevard County to provide them with a warm water site during the current cold snap. There, the naïve animals can link up with experienced wild manatees that are also seeking refuge from chilly waters. (SeaWorld image)
The manatees were returned near the warm water outfall of Port St. John power plant in Brevard County to provide them with a warm water site during the current cold snap. There, the naïve animals can link up with experienced wild manatees that are also seeking refuge from chilly waters. (SeaWorld image)