CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute helped release a rescued manatee into the St. John's River on Tuesday.
The female manatee named "Latke" was rescued in December by Florida Fish and Wildlife, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and the Institute, according to a Facebook post by the aquarium.
Latke was found in an area monitored by the institution by a person who said she didn't look good. Her skin looked pale, and she had symptoms of cold stress, which is "basically manatee frostbite."
She was transported to SeaWorld in Orlando for rehabilitation care weighing only 800 pounds.
After a few months, Latke was able to be released weighing 1,025 pounds. Researchers tagged her, which gives them the ability to monitor her movement. This will give them more data to see how manatees use the St. John's River habitat.
Florida had a record 1,100 manatee deaths in 2021, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. The state had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, followed by 518 in 2023. As of March 28, 160 manatees have died this year.
Manatee Appreciation Day was Wednesday, and there are a few things people can do to help these sea cows.
Monica Ross, director of manatee conservation and research at the institute, said people should give the animals about 20 feet of space, or the length of two kayaks when they are out on the water. This will allow the manatees to be unbothered while viewers can watch without disturbing them.
The aquarium said in the post they are grateful for the impending completion of their Manatee Rehabilitation Center which will allow staff to rescue, rehabilitate, release and monitor post-released manatees.
