Manatees are making waves at a new rehabilitation center

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Manatee Rehabilitation Center, which opened on Tuesday, is already helping some gentle giants.

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The state-of-the-art facility will help accommodate the surge in manatees requiring care.

The aquarium said the rehabilitation center will provide assistances to:

• Sick
• Injured or orphaned manatees
• Boat strike wounds
• Ingestion of foreign objects
• Entanglements
• Cold stress syndrome

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The aquarium said the space will have the latest technology, including medical habitats.

Joe Handy, CEO of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, said, “We are the first responders of the ocean, from research to monitoring, and now rehabilitation. From international waters like Belize, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, to our own local Florida waters, we are ready to protect this keystone species,”

The first two manatees were recently transported from ZooTampa at Lowry Park.

Yeti was rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, ZooTampa, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife for cold stress in Kings Bay, Florida, on Feb. 15.

Zamboni was rescued for cold stress by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and ZooTampa in Placida Bayou, Florida, on Jan. 25.

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