Credit: SeaWorldSeaWorld Orlando has announced the release of yet another animal resident.
The use of animals for entertainment at theme parks such as SeaWorld is extremely controversial – and for good reason. The documentary Blackfish (2013) made the impact living in captivity has on marine mammals like killer whales mainstream public knowledge, with many joining the call for similar parks to free their orcas ASAP.
Related: Is SeaWorld Getting Rid of Its Killer Whales?
In the years since Blackfish, SeaWorld attendance has very much been on the decline.
SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego have since diverted to focusing on thrilling rides over animals, as well as axing its orca breeding programs (meaning the current generation will be the final to live in the parks) and switching animal shows to educational presentations, instead of the former practice of having trainers enter the water and perform alongside their whales.
SeaWorld still faces plenty of criticism for its animal care. Only recently, a former SeaWorld trainer blasted the park for the decline in care quality since the release of Blackfish and the fatal killer whale attack on trainer Dawn Brancheau.
Related: SeaWorld Abu Dhabi Unveils “Record-Breaking” New Roller Coaster
“In the aftermath of Dawn’s death, OSHA regulations dictated the types of interactions we could have with the killer whales, including the banning of waterwork,” Valerie Greene – who worked at SeaWorld Orlando from 2005 to 2016 – wrote for The Orlando Sentinel. “The removal of waterwork interactions didn’t just erase intimacy from SeaWorld’s shows; it erased the intimacy in the whales’ lives too.”
While there’s plenty of debate to be had about the right and wrong ways to care for animals like killer whales, one detail about SeaWorld that’s a little bit more clearcut is its animal rescue track record.
Related: Disney Springs Location Closed Indefinitely at Disney World
SeaWorld’s five-acre Rescue Center has a long history of rehabilitating sick, injured, and orphaned animals, having treated well over 41,000 during its lifespan. Manatees are a particularly big focus. SeaWorld boasts the most successful Florida manatee rescue program in the world.
Case in point: SeaWorld and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released a manatee known as Lantana back into Southwest Florida waters today.
SeaWorld took Lantana under its wing in April after wildlife officials found her in Alligator Creek in Charlotte County. They’d previously been alerted to a concerningly thin manatee with flotation issues.
Related: Authorities Investigate Death Incident Involving Teenager at Discovery Cove, Details Revealed
For nearly four months, the Central Florida theme park did what it does best and gave Lantana extensive rehabilitation that allowed her to make a full recovery. Now, she’s been released back into her natural waters, courtesy of a 10-person crew that lifted the 6.9-foot, 600-pound manatee off a truck and back into her rightful home.
“It was cool to see,” Doug Root, part-owner of D and D Bait and Tackle – a store located near Lantana’s freedom site in Matlacha – told NBC 2. “It seemed like a lot of people might not have been from this area watching, so it was cool for them to come here and see this is kind of how Florida is.”
Dozens of people reportedly gathered to witness Lantana’s release in person.
Related: Famous Killer Whale Dies at Florida Park, Updates Given
While Lantana’s story ended happily, Root also noted that boaters need to be careful in the area and alert the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) if they spot a manatee in trouble.
This follows a similar case in April in which SeaWorld freed a manatee named Toast back into the wild at Three Sisters Springs, approximately 100 miles northwest of SeaWorld Orlando. Toast was previously rescued at Kings Bay near Three Sisters Springs in January and was again rehabilitated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and SeaWorld.
Toast’s sendoff was a big one, attended by none other than Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis. The wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis subsequently released a statement praising SeaWorld’s work in manatee rehabilitation.
Related: Florida Theme Park Puts Down Sea Lion Before It Can Be Confiscated by the Government
It was a joy to be a part of this release and to see a rehabilitated manatee be returned to his home, happy and healthy. I am proud of the work that FWC and their partners, like SeaWorld, do to help these animals when they are in need. The Governor is committed to providing the resources necessary for these gentle sea giants to thrive in Florida’s waterways, and I am happy to see that Florida’s investments are paying off for the manatee population.
DeSantis (who has historically had a tricky relationship with Florida’s theme parks, primarily Walt Disney World Resort) has funded nearly $70 million for manatee protection over the past five years, expanding and enhancing Florida’s manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
Related: Aquatica Orlando Enters Crisis Lockdown, All Guests Evacuated From Park
The state has also invested $380 million into restoring Florida’s world-renowned springs, which serve as a natural habitat for manatees in the colder months.
Further south, Miami Seaquarium – which is currently facing a legal battle to force its eviction, courtesy of Miami-Dade County, over its failures in animal care – previously relocated one of its manatees, Clarity, to SeaWorld Orlando.
In December 2023, two manatees named Romeo and Juliet were also relocated from Miami Seaquarium to ZooTampa, just weeks after a video of an isolated Romeo living in a small aquarium tank racked up millions of views on TikTok.
What are your thoughts on marine mammals living in captivity?