Three adult male manatees have been released into the wild after being rehabilitated by doctors at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. The manatees were rescued during multiple missions this year in April, June and July, according to the Florida Keys News Bureau and CNN.
“Three animals in the same day … there’s nothing better,” Dolphin Research Center medical director Dr. Scott Gearhart said. “To take in an animal that needs your help and to see them released is fantastic … all three of them.”
Measuring up to 11 feet (3.3 meters) and weighing more than 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) each, their medical conditions upon arrival to the rehabilitation center included a boat strike that caused a skull fracture, severe emaciation and gastric issues, dehydration and inflammation.
Treatment ranged from removing bone fragments to antibiotics and nutritional support. Sea World doctors were able to treat their injuries over the course of months so that they were health enough to be returned to the wild into the sea off the coast of South Florida’s Key Colony Beach.
To illustrate the transformation, one manatee named Manakey weighed 460 pounds (209 kilograms) when it was rescued June 10. The marine mammal weighed 1,005 pounds (456 kilograms) when it went back into the water.
According to Phys.org, 2021 saw a record number of manatee deaths in just one 6 month window. According to Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) data, 673 manatee deaths were counted in 2020 and 2019 combined. In 2021 that number hit 841 between Jan. 1 and July 2 of that year.
FWRI said, “Most deaths occurred during the colder months when manatees migrated to and through the Indian River Lagoon where the majority of seagrass has died off.”
Marine mammal experts remind the public to be vigilant when boating in Florida waters.“We share the waterways with these animals,” Gearhart said. “They’re very slow moving and they get into stuff, and you really need to be careful about what your activity is on the water.”
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