News and Stories

It was unseasonably warm at ZooTampa on an early February morning, which didn’t bother me at all. My fellow keeper, Erin, and I had escaped an Ohio snowstorm just in time a couple of days before, which again did not bother me at all. We had made the trip down to the sunny south to help Waffles and Nolia, two manatees that we had cared for at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, return to the wild!  

The manatee care team at ZooTampa had a busy morning, and we watched as they were able to get Waffles and Nolia moved to a separate pool, which was no small feat.  They had about nine other manatees in that area of the manatee hospital (they had over 20 manatees at the zoo receiving care)! With ease, two keepers maneuvered Waffles into a stretcher, and then a crane lifted her over to the transport van.  Then it was Nolia’s turn. The team had extra folks on hand for Nolia. She’s known to be more rambunctious than a lot of the other manatees, but that morning she stayed calm. In no time at all, both manatees were resting together in the back of the truck and we were all on our way to Three Sisters Springs. 

Erin and I followed the team on the drive north from Tampa to the town of Crystal River where Three Sisters Springs is located.  Going down the highway, I wondered what people were thinking when they saw a moving van emblazoned with “Manatee Rescue” and an adorable manatee picture. Maybe Floridians are used to seeing those things since manatees are right in their backyards. I also wondered what Waffles and Nolia were thinking, though they were some very well-travelled manatees. They had experienced trucks, cranes, and airplanes in their lives already.   

As we started seeing signs for Crystal River, I became more and more excited. For me, this town devoted to manatees is like Disney! Every winter, several hundred manatees use the water of King’s Bay in Crystal River to stay warm. This is one of the reasons why it is an ideal place to return young manatees to the wild.   

We followed the ZooTampa team down the road that leads to Three Sisters Springs Park.  There were already transport trucks from SeaWorld Orlando and The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature that had come to release four other manatees that day.  As we approached the pre-release area next to the springs, we could see the boardwalk with eager tourists all watching the four young manatees already in the springs. Attention turned to the truck backing up to the open area where volunteers and workers were waiting for Waffles and Nolia.  Waffles was again the first to go. There are no cranes at the release areas, so all 735 pounds of Waffles was lifted with person power to the back of the truck.  Luckily, the transport trucks have lift gates so she could be lowered to the ground.  She was brought to a foam mat where the post-release team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute was waiting to do photos and measurements.  Most importantly, they fit Waffles with her tracking device. They secured a belt around the part of her body called the peduncle and attached a floating radio transmitter so she could be monitored after release.  

Waffles

And then came the big moment!  Erin and I, along with about ten other people, grabbed loops on the stretcher. Someone counted off a one, two, three…and we all lifted and carefully walked towards the water’s edge.  Volunteers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were waiting in the shallow channel. We maneuvered Waffles down the bank until she was in the water.  She slowly swam out of the stretcher with her tracker in tow. Two of the other manatees that were released just before came to greet her, and she followed them into the main springs.  

Next was Nolia. They had saved the wiggliest one for last. She scrunched up a little but then relaxed as the team fit her tracker and took their measurements. We were ready to go when someone asked that everyone gather around Nolia for a big team photo. It was amazing to see folks from so many different organizations that help with manatee rescue and rehabilitation together in one picture. So much goes into helping each individual manatee get their second chance at survival.  Nolia was then carried by this amazing team of people to the water.  She took a little longer to swim out of the stretcher than Waffles. Waffles came over right away, and they ventured into the springs together.  Everyone clapped as it was announced that the manatees for the Class of 2025 were all released.   

Nolia

Erin and I spent some time just watching the girls explore their new surroundings. They had a new buddy with them as they checked out all the different areas. One of the visitors to Three Sisters stopped me and asked the most frequent question I get, “Is it hard to see them go?”. My reply is always this… it’s bittersweet. There’s always worry about how they will do and if they will find their way. They are tracked, so that provides relief that they are not completely on their own as they learn how to be a wild manatee. But I always remind myself that each manatee we return to the wild helps the population grow. And each time we return a manatee to the wild, we free up space to help another one in need. The knowledge that we are truly helping these amazing animals as part of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership far outweighs any of the difficult times seeing them go.

Nolia & Waffles