Early this morning, we’re talking 4am, two manatees left EPCOT’s aquarium facility. The destination? The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in the panhandle of Florida. The departure of the manatees was recommended by the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). Here’s what we know about the move, and EPCOT’s role in Florida’s manatee crisis going forward.
Manatees Depart EPCOT as Shift Changes to Short-Term Critical Care
The manatee move is part of a change in the role that Walt Disney World will play in Florida’s manatee crisis. The Seas Pavilion will have manatees again, but we understand that the plan is that the new manatees won’t be long-term residents like Lil’ Joe was. Instead, Disney will focus on manatees in need of critical, shorter-term care. Disney is starting to prepare its facility now to support this new focus on short-term critical care.
While the departure of EPCOT’s current manatees is significant, The Seas Pavilion as a whole is going through bigger changes. We’ll take a look at construction in a separate post, but recall that back in September, Disney announced that they would no longer have dolphins at the facility. In addition to the relocation of dolphins, Disney announced that Lou the manatee would be relocated as well.
With Lou’s departure in September, Disney had space for a new manatee. Lil Joe was the only resident for a little while, but then a new manatee, Inigo, arrived in early October. It seemed like Disney would settle in with this new manatee duo for years to come. Now, just three months later, both Lil Joe and Inigo are swimming in a new facility tonight.
The new facility, the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, just completed a conversion of its 300,000-gallon dolphin tank into a manatee sanctuary. The renovation included enhancements such as new windows, a medical/husbandry area, and modifications to Life Support Systems (LSS) equipment. Moreover, the habitat features resting ledges tailored to the needs of rescued manatees, providing them with comfort and support during their rehabilitation journey.
While Gulfarium aims to rehab and release manatees back to the wild, we’re told that EPCOT’s manatees will be permanent residents in the new facility. The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is actually led by a marine mammal expert who previously worked for years at EPCOT.
Here’s a look at The Seas Pavilion, with the Manatee area temporarily closed.
For a more detailed look at the Manatee area, check out our article below!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
