{"id":306674,"date":"2025-11-20T17:36:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/aquarium\/clearwater-marine-aquarium-welcomes-three-new-manatee-patients\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T17:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:36:12","slug":"clearwater-marine-aquarium-welcomes-three-new-manatee-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=306674","title":{"rendered":"Clearwater Marine Aquarium Welcomes Three New Manatee Patients"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Manatee Rehabilitation Center reopens, honors legacy of conservation leader Dr. James \u201cBuddy\u201d Powell<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Clearwater, Florida. (November 11, 2025)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) has officially reopened its Manatee Rehabilitation Center and welcomed its first new patients of the year\u2014three juvenile manatees named Sabal, Orchid, and Vora. The reopening marks a major milestone for CMA, after more than a year of closure due to extensive hurricane damage, sustaining over $2.5 million in damages from Hurricanes Helene and Milton during the 2024 season.<\/p>\n

CMA\u2019s Manatee Rehabilitation Center, part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP)<\/strong>, <\/strong>received the trio after their transport from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where they were previously being rehabilitated. Three additional manatees from the same transport group were safely delivered to two other area manatee centers.<\/p>\n

Marine mammal experts at CMA will monitor the three patients as they acclimate to their new habitat, which will be open for guests\u2019 viewing in the coming week(s) and will be announced. It is anticipated that these patients will be released in early 2026 back to the wild, where they will be monitored by CMA Research Institute (CMARI) scientists for the MRP.<\/p>\n

CMA will proudly dedicate its new manatee rehabilitation facility to Dr. James \u201cBuddy\u201d Powell, a visionary leader whose passion and perseverance transformed the field of marine conservation. As CMA\u2019s former Chief Zoological Officer and Executive Director of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI), Dr. Powell devoted more than five decades to the study and protection of manatees worldwide. His legacy lives on in every rescued, rehabilitated, and released manatee\u2014and in the hearts of those inspired by his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis facility stands as a testament to Dr. Powell\u2019s enduring impact and CMA\u2019s unwavering commitment to marine life,\u201d said Joe Handy, CEO of CMA. \u201cIt is more than a building\u2014it is a promise to continue the work he began, ensuring manatees receive the care and protection they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCMA has been dedicated to the conservation and protection of manatees for over two decades,\u201d said Handy. \u201cRehabilitation is a crucial part of our mission, and we are proud to welcome manatee patients here and be part of the solution alongside our partners at the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership. We are the first responders of the ocean\u2014from research to monitoring\u2014and we are committed to protecting this keystone species.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since opening in July 2024, the Manatee Rehabilitation Center has provided \u201csecond stage\u201d care for manatees who are no longer in need of critical care, but have not yet met the milestones needed for release. They are also designed to relieve capacity at critical care facilities at ZooTampa and SeaWorld Orlando, which often care for more than 20 manatees each at a time.<\/p>\n

The first manatee patients welcomed to CMA were Yeti and Zamboni. Unfortunately, their stays were cut short due to Hurricane Helene Sept. 26, and they were safely transported to ZooTampa the next day. The two manatees were both eventually released back to the wild in early 2025.<\/p>\n