Manatee Releases

Following rehabilitation, manatees that have been medically cleared by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service qualified veterinarian will be released back into the wild.

Release locations are determined based on where the manatee was initially rescued. This gives them the best opportunity to thrive as they should already be familiar with locations of grass flats for feeding, fresh water for drinking, and warm water sites during the winter. Orphaned manatees with limited or no experience in the wild will be released at warm water sites during the winter with other manatees. High risk manatees are often tagged to allow monitoring of their adaptation to the wild. For more information on tracking these released manatees, visit the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership website. 

Learn more about how to determine if a manatee is entangled or has a tracking tag (follow link and scroll to bottom).