Viral video of manatee's living conditions feels like a 'gut punch,' sparks relocation from Florida facility

After a video showing a manatee alone in a Miami Seaquarium tank went viral, public pressure mounted to relocate the gentle giant. Now officials say three manatees are being relocated from the aquarium in what activists call a rescue.

The video taken Nov. 13 shows Romeo, a manatee in his late 60s, alone in concrete pools that activists say are closed to the public. The footage shows him spinning in circles, one lazy fin propelling him around aimlessly.

"You can feel Romeo," said Phil Demers, activist and co-founder of UrgentSeas, the organization that published the video. "It's a gut punch. I don't think any even reasonably empathetic human can't un-see or un-feel what that does."

Demers said the video garnered 28.5 million views across on TikTok, Instagram and X, and he tried to use its popularity to urge people to reach out to public regulatory agencies to step in on the manatee's behalf. A Change.org petition started the day after the video garnered more than 45,000 signatures.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed Tuesday that it is partnering with the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership to relocate Romeo and two other manatees from Miami Seaquarium to SeaWorld Orlando and ZooTampa.

“The Service is working with an experienced team of manatee rescue and rehabilitation experts through the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership to assist with the transport effort of three manatees from the Miami Seaquarium. The manatees are being relocated to other facilities to receive additional expert care. The transport of these three manatees is currently underway,” Carli Segelson, a spokesperson with the service said in an emailed statement shared with USA TODAY Tuesday afternoon.

The service said the manatees are experiencing health issues, making the transport high-risk. But with Miami Seaquarium ongoing quality issues and concern for the animals' wellbeing, their rescue may be necessary.

Miami Seaquarium released a statement Tuesday night saying it has been working on the manatees' relocation for months. The aquarium recognized that keeping manatees alone is not recommended. But the release stated there were no other options for Romeo and his mate Juliet, who was kept in a separate tank with Clarity, the third manatee who was already set to be moved to Orlando at the direction of the service, according to the Miami Seaquarium.

"This is the best possible outcome for Romeo and Juliet, and we are thankful to USFWS, the MRP and of course SeaWorld and ZooTampa for their help and support," the statement reads.

More: See the iconic Florida manatees as they keep fighting for survival

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USDA report raises multiple concerns, finds manatee was isolated in pool since spring 2023

In November 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture released a report about its inspection of the Miami Seaquarium, as reported by Local 10 News.

The report included several troubling findings, including an incident where a dolphin bit a girl's hand and another where a dolphin was found with cement and plastic in its digestive tract. The tarp that provides shade in Romeo's pool was also missing for 10 days in March and an unknown number of days in April, the report states.

Romeo's isolation was a point of concern for inspectors. According to the report, Romeo has been alone in the pool since spring of 2023, when the three other manatees he was with were released back to the wild. The facility did not meet the requirements to get another manatee, making attempts to resolve the issue unsuccessful, according to the report.

"Manatees are semi-social animals and do better medically and psychologically when they are housed in pairs or groups," the report states. "Marine mammals, whenever known to be primarily social in the wild, must be housed in their primary enclosure with at least one compatible animal of the same or biologically related species."

Following the released inspection, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces issued a notice of default − a warning that the lease agreement had been breached − to Miami Seaquarium's parent company, Local 10 reported. The county gave the company 45 days from Nov. 1 to rectify the violations of the lease agreement, which includes failing to uphold the responsibility to care for the animals.

UrgentSeas co-founder glad for accountability, hopes it isn't too late for Romeo

The November video of Romeo was the second video of his isolation that UrgentSeas released this year, Demers said. They were pushed to capture more footage when the Miami Seaquarium posted about Manatee Awareness Month on its social media platforms.

"Maybe we should highlight exactly how the Miami Seaquarium actually treats their manatees," Demers remembers thinking when the post went up. "So, you know, in the strangest way, they brought this on themselves."

The service said it is leading the manatees' relocation at the request of Miami Seaquarium. The animals will be moved to Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership facilities.

Demers said he is glad they are taking action to rescue the manatees, but hopes it isn't too late. Lolita, an orca whale living at the Miami Seaquarium, died in August 2023 as plans were underway to return her to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest.

"It's every activists dream to inspire change. Of course, there's a great deal of satisfaction, but frankly, more than not, I like to bring accountability to the people and places that cause this level of suffering," Demers said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Manatees at Miami Seaquarium to be relocated following viral video