Ralston, a rescued manatee, returned home to the Halifax River in Florida in August. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
After months of rehabilitation, SeaWorld Orlando recently released Ralston, a Florida manatee, back to the wild!
Ralston was brought to SeaWorld Orlando by Florida Fish and Wildlife Service after he got severely injured by a crab trap. His left pectoral flipper had to be amputated, but with daily care from SeaWorld’s Animal Team, his health recovered, and he was ready to go back home.
Ralston was transported by van to the Halifax River in Florida, where his rescue was originally made.
Using a crane, the Animal Team was able to lift Ralston into the van gently. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
Ralston was transported by van back to the Halifax River, where he was found. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
After months of rehabilitation, Ralston was ready to return to the wild! SeaWorld vets microchipped him so if he finds himself at another rescue facility in the future, the vets there will be able to access all of his veterinary history and information. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
Churro, a young Florida manatee, is one of many success stories from SeaWorld Orlando as they celebrate 1000 manatee rescues! Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
It’s Manatee Appreciation Day today, and SeaWorld Orlando has a great way to celebrate! They have reached a historic milestone – 1000 manatee rescues!
For nearly 50 years, SeaWorld has worked with federal, state and nonprofit organizations to rescue and rehabilitate injured or cold-stressed manatees and then release them back into the wild.
Recently, they successfully released a mother-daughter manatee pair named Reckless and Churro. In 2022, Reckless was struck by a boat and her shoulder was shattered. Her newborn, Churro, was only a couple days old at the time.
Mother manatee, Reckless, was severely injured after being struck by a boat in 2022. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
The SeaWorld veterinary team performed 12 lifesaving procedures and provided more than 17,000 hours of specialized care to ensure the pair could be successfully returned to their natural habitat.
SeaWorld Orlando veterinary staff performed surgery on Reckless’s shoulder. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
After 20 months of intensive care, Reckless and Churro were fit to be released. SeaWorld used specialized equipment to transport the manatee pair back to the wild. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
SeaWorld staff measured Churro before releasing her back to her natural habitat with her mother. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.
For more information about SeaWorld’s rehabilitation work, see their website.
Squirrel, the manatee, on his way back to Florida waters. Photo by Amanda Carberry, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.
The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership released five orphaned manatees to Blue Spring State Park in Florida. Blue Spring State Park is home to a spring that stays a constant 22°C (72°F). These warm waters provide a refuge to hundreds of manatees during the winter months.
The five manatees had originally been rescued as calves in 2020 or 2021. Over the past few years, they were treated and rehabilitated by a partnership of organizations, including SeaWorld Orlando, The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Brevard Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Save the Manatee Club.
The manatees were fitted with GPS tracking devices so their progress can be monitored.
Squirrel, the manatee, being examined and measured before being released into the waters at Blue Spring State Park in Florida. Photo by Amanda Carberry, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.
Clank, the manatee, being carried on a tarp toward the water at Blue Spring State Park in Florida. When he was rescued as a calf, he weighed 58 kg (128 lb.) He now weighs 329 kg (725 lb.). Photo by Save the Manatee Club.
Clank, the manatee, getting released at Blue Spring State Park in Florida. Photo by Save the Manatee Club.
The five orphaned manatees were released into the water at Blue Spring State Park in Florida. This spring is home to hundreds of manatees because it stays a constant 22°C (72°F). Photo by Amanda Carberry, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.
SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue team traveled to Sykes Creek in Merritt Island, Fla., on June 8 to rescue the 10-foot manatee that had severe injuries to the front right flipper caused by a crab pot line. Photo provided by SeaWorld
Back in June, the animal rescue team at SeaWorld Orlando came to the aid of a 10-foot manatee who was injured and caught in a fishing line in Sykes Creek in Merritt Island, Florida. The 1,380-pound manatee was transported to SeaWorld so that veterinarians could treat her injuries. Her right flipper was severely injured and had to be amputated.
On July 18, the manatee gave birth to a healthy calf. The baby has been nursing and bonding with its mother in SeaWorld Orlando’s back area pool. The animal team will continue to monitor the pair.
Approximately six weeks after her rescue, rescued manatee gives birth to a calf at SeaWorld Orlando on the morning of July 18, 2012. Photo provided by SeaWorld
The mother and baby will be monitored by SeaWorld’s animal team while they bond in the back area pool. Photo provided by SeaWorld
SeaWorld rehabilitation experts have been working around the clock tending to a baby manatee orphan. Every three hours, the 3.5-foot, 41-pound marine mammal is bottle-fed with a nutrient-rich formula. Every other day, the animal care specialists weigh the manatee and monitor her progress. Although her condition remains guarded, park veterinarians hope to eventually release her back into the wild.
The manatee, just weeks old, was rescued from the waters of Daytona Beach, Florida and transported to SeaWorld by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In the wild, all three species of manatee are considered threatened by the IUCN Redlist. The Florida manatee subspecies is considered endangered. Threats include habitat destruction, red tide, and boating accidents.
SeaWorld animal care specialist Jeff Braso bottle-feeds a baby manatee, Tuesday, July 27, at SeaWorld’s Rescue & Rehabilitation Center in Orlando, Fla. The park’s animal staff has been providing 24-hour care for the animal since she was orphaned by her mother in Daytona Beach, Fla. on July 24, 2010. (Photo by SeaWorld Orlando)
