Manatees Removed from The Seas at EPCOT as Disney Transitions Facility to Shorter-Term Care

Inigo and Lil Joe have been relocated another accredited facility in Florida.

The Manatee exhibit within SeaBase at The Seas with Nemo & Friends has been temporarily closed, as the two resident manatees have been relocated to another facility.

What’s Happening:

  • Back in September, Walt Disney World announced that three dolphins and one manatee, Lou, would be relocated to other facilities in Florida.
  • Just a week later, Inigo joined Lil Joe as the park's resident manatees, but Inigo’s residence has proved to be short-lived.
  • Both manatees have now been moved to another accredited facility in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, The Gulfarium, where they will continue to rehabilitate this important species.
  • This is part of Disney’s new effort to utilize the facility for manatees in need of critical, shorter-term care.
  • This continues the statewide relocation initiative to assist in the ongoing recovery and protection of the species led by the MRP and FWS.
  • With this, the Manatee exhibit inside SeaBase has been temporarily closed, as Disney is currently preparing the facility to accept other manatees.
  • The Seas pavilion has recently seen some other changes, including introducing an interactive game inspired by the Nat Geo series OceanXplorers, as well as the refurbished Ocean Life exhibit.

More Walt Disney World News:

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Luke Manning
Luke is a fan of all things theme parks and self-proclaimed #1 fan of Joffrey’s Coffee, who lives in Kissimmee, FL