SeaWorld Announces 1000th Manatee Rescue

Churro, a young Florida manatee, is one of many success stories from SeaWorld Orlando as they celebrate 1000 manatee rescues! Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.

It’s Manatee Appreciation Day today, and SeaWorld Orlando has a great way to celebrate! They have reached a historic milestone – 1000 manatee rescues!

For nearly 50 years, SeaWorld has worked with federal, state and nonprofit organizations to rescue and rehabilitate injured or cold-stressed manatees and then release them back into the wild.

Recently, they successfully released a mother-daughter manatee pair named Reckless and Churro. In 2022, Reckless was struck by a boat and her shoulder was shattered. Her newborn, Churro, was only a couple days old at the time.

Mother manatee, Reckless, was severely injured after being struck by a boat in 2022. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.

The SeaWorld veterinary team performed 12 lifesaving procedures and provided more than 17,000 hours of specialized care to ensure the pair could be successfully returned to their natural habitat.

SeaWorld Orlando veterinary staff performed surgery on Reckless’s shoulder. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.

After 20 months of intensive care, Reckless and Churro were fit to be released. SeaWorld used specialized equipment to transport the manatee pair back to the wild. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.

SeaWorld staff measured Churro before releasing her back to her natural habitat with her mother. Photo by SeaWorld Orlando.

For more information about SeaWorld’s rehabilitation work, see their website.

To learn more about manatees, see our article, West Indian Manatee.