Manatee milestone: SeaWorld Orlando reports 1,000th rescue
SeaWorld Orlando has announced that it has now logged 1,000 manatee rescues.
“Manatees are an iconic part of Florida’s ecosystem, and we are honored to play a key role in their conservation,” Jon Peterson, park president, said in a news release. “By rescuing, rehabilitating and hopefully returning these animals, we not only save individual lives but also inspire our guests to join us in protecting these amazing creatures.”
In 2024, SeaWorld rescued 61 manatees and was able to rehabilitate and return 38 manatees.
Since 1976, SeaWorld Orlando’s rescue team has operated one of three critical-care facilities in the U.S., responding to manatees in need because of boat strikes, entanglements, cold stress and other life-threatening conditions. The park maintains a five-acre rescue center for wildlife, including sea turtles, birds and other marine animals. Park guests can also see manatees at the Manatee and Turtle Rescue center on the north side of SeaWorld, between the Dolphin Encounter and Coral Rescue facilities.
SeaWorld also educates the public on manatee conservation through in-park programs, partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other community outreach efforts.