Three cold-stressed manatees, including a young calf, are back home in the water after being treated at SeaWorld Orlando for the past several months.
On Wednesday morning, SeaWorld staff released the trio into the warm waters of the Banana River in Brevard County.
Laverne, an orphaned manatee, was rescued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission workers in May 2013 in the Sykes Creek area of Merritt Island.
Cami, an adult, was brought in by workers in late 2014 from a creek in Jacksonville, and Cooper, also an adult, has been treated for cold stress since March 2015.
Laverne got a tag transmitter to track her movements, since she's not experienced in the wild.
“We want to make sure they are feeding, finding the warm water sites, in winter especially. Finding fresh water to drink,” said Melody Fischer from Sea to Shore Alliance.
For information on how you can track tagged manatees movements and see their progress, go to manateerescue.org
SeaWorld Orlando staff released the manatees into the warm waters of the Banana River in Brevard County on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2015.
SeaWorld Orlando staff released the manatees into the warm waters of the Banana River in Brevard County on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2015.