SeaWorld Orlando returns rehabilitated manatee to Florida waterways

Manatee named Goose rescued from power facility in Charleston, South Carolina

Courtesy: SeaWorld Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – SeaWorld Orlando's Animal Rescue Team released a rehabilitated manatee Thursday to the warm Florida water ways after it was rescued late last year from a power facility in Charleston, South Carolina.

The manatee, named Goose by its caretakers, was placed into the water near the Kennedy Point Marina in Titusville following his three-month rehabilitation.

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Goose was rescued Dec. 11 in South Carolina by a team that consisted of members from SeaWorld Orlando, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

SeaWorld officials said manatees traditionally migrate to Florida's warm waters in the winter, but the manatee remained close to the power facility's warm water outfall, leaving it isolated from an adequate food source and naturally warm water.

A SeaWorld representative said a satellite transmitter was attached around Goose's paddle, like a belt, to monitor whether he follows proper migration patterns next winter.

Click here for information about manatees currently being tracked.


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Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.