SeaWorld to build new emergency pools in response to a spike in manatee injuries
ORLANDO, Fla. — The SeaWorld theme park in Orlando is opening new pools to care for Florida manatees that are dying from starvation due to poor water quality in their normal habitat.
The lovable, round-tailed marine mammals had their worst die-off last year, more than 1,100 of them, and there are federal and state efforts ongoing to save the threatened creatures.
One of these efforts is to have a place like SeaWorld, with the marine assets it has, provide rehabilitation to those that can be rescued.
VIDEO: Brevard Zoo collecting donations to establish dedicated manatee rescue team Brevard County sees nearly three times as many manatee rescues, and deaths, as any other county in Florida, according to the Brevard Zoo. (Mel Holt, WFTV.com/WFTV)
SeaWorld announced Friday that it has added five 40-foot pools to accommodate up to 20 manatees within two weeks.
The theme park is one of five facilities in the U.S. taking care of sick and injured manatees. It had 28 manatees in its care as of Friday, according to a company release.
“We are bringing animals in that are skeletons. These animals need long-term care,” said Jon Peterson, chief of zoological operations at SeaWorld who chairs a manatee rescue partnership with government agencies.
“We’ve got the space. We will continue to use that space,” he added.
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Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park Blue Spring State Park staff recently counted a record number of manatees in their waters.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park The park reported 663 at the spring Tuesday, nearly a hundred more than the previous record.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park During manatee season from November through March, manatees are known to seek the park’s warmer spring waters as they depend on warm water to survive.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park Manatees were listed as an endangered species beginning in 1966, but their status was changed to threatened in 2017, the AP reported.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park Manatees depend on warm water for survival.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park According to Blue Spring State Park, the number of manatees visiting them has grown significantly, from about 36 animals when research began in the 1970s to more than 600 today.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park Blue Spring State Park provides underwater and above-water web cameras offering a constant view of manatee activity in the spring.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park More manatees died in Florida in 2021 than ever before.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park Some of the coldest temperatures in a year were reported in Central Florida Tuesday morning, attracting more manatees to the warm springs.
Record number of manatees counted at Blue Spring State Park Blue Spring State Park is an ideal location to release manatees back into the wild after they have been rehabilitated from sickness or injury as they can be easily monitored at the spring and in the surrounding waters.
Manatees on the east coast of Florida, in particular, have suffered during winter months from a lack of food.
