Manatee Rehabilitation Area Opens at SeaWorld Orlando

Earlier today, in conjunction with Manatee Appreciation Day, SeaWorld Orlando opened Manatee Rehabilitation, an area for park guests to see the behind-the-scenes rescue and rehabilitation work SeaWorld does to save wild manatees.
The new Manatee Rehabilitation area allows park guests to step into a working wild manatee acute care facility, come face-to-face with animals that have been ill or injured, and follow their journey to recovery and release back to the wild.

Behind-the-scenes of the SeaWorld Orlando theme park is a bustling, 5-acre Rescue Center used for rehabilitating rescued wildlife. While a guided tour of the entire facility has been available for years, with ten percent of the cost donated to helping wildlife, the park has now opened up sections of the manatee rehabilitation area for complimentary viewing to all guests.

Visitors are invited to step behind-the-scenes and catch a glimpse of SeaWorld’s working manatee rescue and rehabilitation facility to learn more about the plight of these vulnerable animals in the wild. Park guests can see firsthand the top problems today’s manatee populations are facing and learn simple actions to help. In addition to viewing the animals currently undergoing rehabilitation, guests can also see their digital medical charts, interactive exhibits, an underwater viewing camera and videos of the SeaWorld Animal Rescue Team in action.

Here you are some photos of the area taken earlier today by the Orlando Theme Park News team:

The area is located next to the exit of the nearby TurtleTrek attraction:

Many signs scattered around the area show what SeaWorld is doing to help these amazing creatures:

Two video screens show manatees rescued by SeaWorld and a live feed of one of the pools:

Guests can go up these stairs to check out the rehabilitation pools:

This section certainly looks like a backstage area (it used to be closed to the general public):

Here you are two panoramic photos of the area:

A truck used as part of SeaWorld's rescue projects is parked nearby:

Enjoy a few more pictures of the area in general:

The following video provides an even more in-depth look at the area:

SeaWorld hopes to generate awareness and educate visitors on their simple mission, to return every manatee they successfully rehabilitate back to the wild. Guests now have the opportunity to explore this working facility and become inspired through the stories of recently rescued manatees; guests can even follow their journey back to the wild.

SeaWorld’s goal for every animal rescued is to successfully rehabilitate and return it to the wild.  The team works 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.

This opportunity is one of the first steps in the company’s vision to “turn the park inside out” and show guests how the company is helping wild animals in need.

Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership

As part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), SeaWorld Orlando is an acute care rehabilitation facility that provides life-saving medical care to rescued manatees.

The MRP is a cooperative group of non-profit, private, state, and federal entities who work together to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and released manatees. Information about manatees currently being tracked is available at www.wildtracks.org. The endangered Florida manatee is at risk from both natural and man-made causes of injury and mortality. Exposure to red tide, cold stress, and disease are all natural problems that can affect manatees. Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear.