Here's the news from Dewayne Bevil at the Orlando Sentinel:
One manatee and three dolphins soon will be moving out of their Epcot habitat, Walt Disney World announced Tuesday. The animals are part of the theme park’s The Seas With Nemo & Friends attraction.
A manatee named Lou is moving to another manatee rehabilitation center starting Wednesday, Disney said. Soon after the relocation, another manatee will come to Epcot as a companion to Lil Joe, a manatee currently living there.
“While we will greatly miss Lou, we do look forward to aiding this other manatee in the next stage of rehabilitation as we continue to do our part in addressing the manatee crisis in Florida, which has seen declining manatee populations in the past few years,” reads a statement released from Walt Disney World to members of the media.
The change is being done “as part of a broader set of manatee moves around the state” recommended by the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.
Meanwhile, Epcot’s trio of male dolphins will be moving from The Seas to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach in late October.
“This decision came after a comprehensive evaluation as to what is best for these dolphins as infrastructure work progresses at The Seas,” according to the Disney statement.
Epcot will continue Dolphins in Depth, a two-hour backstage tour, and its DiveQuest experiences through Oct. 19. DiveQuest, which allows scuba divers to swim in the tank, is expected to return in 2025, Disney said.
Epcot currently has a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium populated with clown fish and sharks — a la “Finding Nemo” — as well as sea turtles, reef fish and rays that park guests can observe.
The area also includes a Nemo-based dark ride that features movie characters, animatronic sea life and ride vehicles shaped like clams plus an interactive attraction called Turtle Talk With Crush.
www.orlandosentinel.com
One manatee and three dolphins soon will be moving out of their Epcot habitat, Walt Disney World announced Tuesday. The animals are part of the theme park’s The Seas With Nemo & Friends attraction.
A manatee named Lou is moving to another manatee rehabilitation center starting Wednesday, Disney said. Soon after the relocation, another manatee will come to Epcot as a companion to Lil Joe, a manatee currently living there.
“While we will greatly miss Lou, we do look forward to aiding this other manatee in the next stage of rehabilitation as we continue to do our part in addressing the manatee crisis in Florida, which has seen declining manatee populations in the past few years,” reads a statement released from Walt Disney World to members of the media.
The change is being done “as part of a broader set of manatee moves around the state” recommended by the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.
Meanwhile, Epcot’s trio of male dolphins will be moving from The Seas to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach in late October.
“This decision came after a comprehensive evaluation as to what is best for these dolphins as infrastructure work progresses at The Seas,” according to the Disney statement.
Epcot will continue Dolphins in Depth, a two-hour backstage tour, and its DiveQuest experiences through Oct. 19. DiveQuest, which allows scuba divers to swim in the tank, is expected to return in 2025, Disney said.
Epcot currently has a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium populated with clown fish and sharks — a la “Finding Nemo” — as well as sea turtles, reef fish and rays that park guests can observe.
The area also includes a Nemo-based dark ride that features movie characters, animatronic sea life and ride vehicles shaped like clams plus an interactive attraction called Turtle Talk With Crush.
Disney: Epcot relocating 1 manatee, 3 dolphins from The Seas
A manatee named Lou is moving to a facility in the panhandle. Another manatee will be moved into the Epcot attraction.
www.orlandosentinel.com
