The manatee spent eight months recovering at SeaWorld San Antonio after being found in Texas waters.
Multiple sea life rehabilitation and rescue organizations on Thursday morning, July 28, returned a manatee to its natural habitat at Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida after being at SeaWorld San Antonio for eight months. The manatee was transported by air and land with the help of national delivery service DHL Express, according to a news release.
DHL transported the manatee using custom holding containers specifically built to International Animal Transport Association standards. The container has an open top and is designed with enough space to allow animals to move around and adjust for comfort.
The lightweight container was made with foam with a foam bed on the inside for the manatee.
SeaWorld San Antonio took the manatee for care when it was found in Galveston Bay waters with cold stress, flipper damage, and severe weight loss in December 2021. Manatees have been appearing in Texas waters while the species is at risk from the ongoing "unusual mortality event," where unusually high mortality rates are occurring among manatees in the Atlantic Coast.
In this screenshot from a video from SeaWorld, members of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership tend to the manatee before it's released into Kings Bay.
"Moving manatees is an intricate process, so the speed and reliability of our air network, coupled with the extensive logistics planning with SeaWorld and their partners, helps ensure these wonderful creatures get back safely to their natural habitat," said Cain Moodie, DHL senior vice president of network operations and aviation, in the news release.
The manatee's temperature was monitored by experts who covered the manatee in wool and space blankets while also misting the animal with water to keep it moist during transport.
The manatee arrived at SeaWorld Orlando for a 48-hour observation period, tagged for a habitat study and then released to the Kings Bay waters.
Steven Santana is a digital reporter and pop culture weeb born and raised in San Antonio. He graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2013. Reach out at steven.santana@mysa.com. Follow him on Twitter @stevensantana88