Clearwater Marine Aquarium Formally Opens First Manatee Rehabilitation Center
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Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is marking the grand opening of its first manatee rehabilitation center Friday morning. The new center is a working marine life hospital and is now open to the public. This makes CMA part of a statewide network of organizations that not only assist with manatee rescues but house and care for manatees until they can be released back into the wild. The new center is what Andy Garrett, FWC Manatee Rescue Coordinator for the State of Florida, says is known as a secondary holding facility. He says when a manatee is first rescued, they’re transported to one of the state’s three critical care facilities for initial care.
Once they get to a more stable part of the rehabilitation process, they are brought to CMA. The first patients are Yeti and Zamboni who were suffering from cold stress.