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SeaWorld Orlando ramps up rescue efforts to save manatees

Dying Manatees-Florida
Posted at 4:52 PM, Feb 04, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-04 20:43:30-05

SeaWorld Orlando announced Friday that it is adding five temporary pools to help save manatees that are dying of starvation off the coast of Florida.

"The pools will enable existing manatees that are stabilized and ready for rehabilitation to be moved from critical care to the emergency pools, freeing up more space for new rescues," SeaWorld Orlando stated in a press release.

Construction on the pools is expected to be completed in the next two weeks.

As ocean waters warm because of climate change, the grass and seaweed the creatures eat are dying off. Because of that, many manatees are starving to death.

The theme park says it's the only rehabilitation facility in Florida currently able to take in critically ill manatees.

Since the start of October 2021, researchers have documented at least 1,000 manatee deaths. That’s more than any other year on record.