SeaWorld Orlando Releases Four Rescued Manatees

Over the past two days, four rehabilitated manatees were returned to Florida water ways by the SeaWorld Animal Rescue Team and the American Humane Association (AHA) Red Star Rescue team. The manatees were brought in after being rescued for various reasons and were rehabilitated for years at SeaWorld.
Carmine and Leonard, two male manatees, were rescued as orphaned calves in 2013; Sheldon and Bernadette were rescued back in December of 2014.

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 animals can link up with experienced manatees also seeking refuge from chilly waters.

For this return, the SeaWorld Rescue Team invited several employees and volunteers from the Red Star Rescue Team to be a part of the manatees’ homecoming.

“It was a good opportunity for us to see another rescue organization and how they operate, the challenges they overcome and how they are able to really help animals that are different from the animals that we are normally accustomed to dealing with,” said Randal A. Collins, National Director of the AHA’s Red Star Rescue program. The team, which consists of a national network of trained staff and volunteers, is instrumental in assisting animals and communities in crisis when natural and man-made disasters occur.

SeaWorld Orlando continues to 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.

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