Saving Manatees from Starvation

Manatees often called sea cows, are thought to have inspired the mermaid legend. Sadly, these peaceful creatures are facing a starvation crisis. See how the team at Georgia Aquarium is working to rescue and rehabilitate manatees in crisis.

March 30, 2022

By: Discovery and Georgia Aquarium

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Photo By: ADDISON HILL

Two little orphaned manatee calves, one male and one female, arrived at the Georgia Aquarium on March 9th, from SeaWorld Orlando.

The two calves were rescued in December. The female calf was suffering from cold stress, and the male was found with a deceased female, likely his mother.

Manatees are dying in record numbers in Florida, and critical care facilities are running out of room.

The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) has put an emergency rescue effort in place to help animals like these.

More than 1,100 manatees died last year, primarily due to starvation from seagrass loss, and 400 have already been lost in the first two months of this year.

Critical-care rescue facilities treating sick manatees have been at capacity for more than a year.

Georgia Aquarium has joined the emergency rescue effort as part of the MRP to take in manatees who no longer need “ICU,” but require continued recovery care before they can be returned to Florida waters.

The designated rehabilitation space for these manatee’s is at Georgia Aquarium’s offsite Animal Care Facility, giving these animals expert veterinary care and monitoring.

The addition of the nation’s largest aquarium to the emergency response team frees up urgently needed space in critical care facilities trying to stem this tide of manatee deaths.

Both calves are currently too young and small to be released. They will be cared for until they reach a goal weight and are ready to be released back into the wild.