SwimShady, Lil Peep and more: Meet the 12 manatees that were released into Blue Spring
ORANGE CITY — Partners from the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership released a record number of manatees, 12, into Blue Spring in west Volusia County on Monday.
According to biographies provided by Save the Manatee Club and other partners, many manatees were rescued as orphaned calves along Florida's east coast and have been rehabilitated in facilities from Florida to Ohio.
The animals continue to thrive in Blue Spring, though, where hundreds of unique manatees have been counted this season. Learn more below about the 12 manatees that were recently released.
Read more about the release: 12 manatees released into Blue Spring in West Volusia after rehabilitation
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Alby: Manatee rescued in Daytona Beach
Rescued in August 2019 as a small, 51-pound orphan in Daytona Beach, Alby was cared for by SeaWorld Orlando and later transferred to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for longer term rehabilitation. He returned to SeaWorld before his release.
According to the Cincinnati Zoo, Alby was rescued in the Halifax River in Volusia County. He was up to 746 pounds in September of 2022, when he was preparing for transport back to Florida.
Artemis: Manatee rescued in Indian River in Brevard County
Rescued in July 2020 as a small, 51-pound orphan calf in Indian River in Brevard County, Artemis completed her rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando.
Asha: Manatee rescued in Port Orange
Asha was rescued as an orphaned calf in Port Orange in Volusia County in March 2021 at 202 pounds. She completed her rehabilitation at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
According to the zoo, Asha was in critical condition upon arrival to the Manatee Critical Care Center. Though she suffered from a large wound down her side and very low body weight, the team was able to nurse her back to health.
Bianca: Manatee rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando
A calf of an injured mother that did not recover, Bianca was rescued from the Indian River in Brevard County in May 2021. She was 209 pounds at the time of rescue and rehabilitated by SeaWorld Orlando. Bianca weighed in at 905 pounds before Monday's release.
Ferret: Manatee rescued from FPL cooling lakes in Broward County
Ferret was rehabilitated by the Miami Seaquarium after being rescued from the Florida Power & Light cooling lakes in Broward County as an orphaned calf in March 2021. Ferret weighed 110 pounds at the time of his rescue.
Finch: Manatee rehabilitated by the Miami Seaquarium
Finch was rehabilitated by the Miami Seaquarium after being rescued from the Florida Power & Light cooling lakes in Broward County as an orphaned calf in March 2021. Finch weighed 106 pounds at the time of his rescue.
Inigo: Manatee rescued on Merritt Island
Inigo is a 9-foot male rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2021 after beaching himself at Merritt Island in Brevard County, according to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. He completed his first rehabilitation at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. According to the zoo, Inigo originally came in underweight and non-responsive, signs consistent with an ongoing “unusual mortality event” in Florida.
After release to Blue Spring State Park in July 2021, researchers observed he was not adjusting well or eating. He was re-rescued from the St. Johns River after suffering a boat strike, and tests confirmed he had lost weight and had abnormal blood values indicating dehydration.
He completed his second rehabilitation at both Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando.
Lil Peep: Manatee rescued in Titusville
An orphan calf rescued in April 2021 from Titusville in Brevard County, Lil Peep weighed in at 194 pounds. He was transferred to SeaWorld Orlando for care, then to Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters before returning to SeaWorld for pre-release preparation.
According to the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, Lil Peep was very underweight and lethargic when rescued but recently was up to eating about 100 pounds of vegetation daily and gaining weight.
Manhattan: Manatee rescued in St. Augustine
An orphan rescued in October 2019, Manhattan was initially cared for by SeaWorld Orlando before being transferred to Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for full rehabilitation and back to SeaWorld for pre-release preparation.
Manhattan was rescued at St. Augustine Beach in St. Johns County. At the time of his rescue, he weighed 62 pounds, but he was up to 609 and growing last September, the zoo reported.
Maximoff: Manatee rescued in Pompano Beach
Maximoff was rescued in January 2021 in Pompano Beach in Broward County as an orphaned calf. He was rehabilitated by SeaWorld Orlando, going from 205 pounds when rescued up to 890 pounds before Monday's release.
Scampi: Manatee rescued in Jupiter Sound
Scampi was rescued in November 2019 from Jupiter Sound in Palm Beach County as a small calf of 99 pounds. She completed her rehabilitation at Miami Seaquarium, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and Living Seas at Disney World.
According to the Columbus Zoo, she was rescued with her mother, Jumbo, who passed away due to injuries from a boat impact wound.
SwimShady: Manatee rescued from the Berkeley Canal
An orphan rescued in December 2020 in Berkeley Canal in Brevard County, SwimShady was transported to SeaWorld Orlando for initial care, transferred to Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for continued rehabilitation and returned to SeaWorld Orlando for pre-release preparation. He weighed 194 pounds at rescue and was up to 624 pounds and growing last September, the Cincinnati Zoo shared.
Contact reporter Danielle Johnson at djohnson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Blue Spring welcomes 12 rehabilitated manatees from SeaWorld, Seaquarium
