By Danny Stanton
What do monofilament fishing line, boats, oil, weapons, temperature, and trash all have in common? They’re all human imposed dangers on marine life. But thanks to the SeaWorld rescue team, 26,000 animals have been rescued. This is a huge milestone and no other group has rescued more animals than SeaWorld. They’re the experts and they have learned a lot about the care and equipment needed to pull off a successful rescue and rehabilitation program.
History of the SeaWorld Rescue Team
In 1963, the Hubbs–SeaWorld® Research Institute opened their doors. A year later in 1964, SeaWorld formed it’s first rescue team in California. The first rescue at SeaWorld Orlando did not occur for another 8 years where in 1976, when they rescued their first manatee. Each experience brought new knowledge on how to rehabilitate marine mammals. This led to the first successful rehabilitation and release of the first bottle-raised manatee in 1980. The rescue team continues to rescue and rehabilitate marine animals and birds.
SeaWorld has had some major milestones over the years. One of the largest animals that the rescue team ever successfully rehabilitated was an orphaned gray whale named JJ. She was the largest rescued animal ever returned to the wild. The rescue team has helped save more than 200,000 penguins, 100 endangered sea turtles, and countless other animals effected by oil spills. SeaWorld established the SeaWorld Oiled Wildlife Care Center in 2000 and The SeaWorld & Bush Garden Conservation Fund in 2003, which has granted more than 11 million dollars to various research and conservation projects around the world. The SeaWorld rescue team has saved many animals as a result of environmental causes such as 14 displaced sea lions after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and responding to cold-stunned manatees and sea turtles when the temperature dropped very low. In fact, in 2010, they executed one of the largest rescue events in SeaWorld history when they rehabilitated more than 300 cold-stunned endangered sea turtles. They have also responded to marine mammal mass stranding events. In 2014, they rescued 1,000 animals in a single year. It is clear that the SeaWorld rescue team has given more animals a second chance than any other organization, largely due to the commitment that the animals come first.
Here are some of the memorable animal rescues that have taken place over the years.
September 2012 – Pilot Whale Mass Stranding
A pod of 22 pilot whales beached themselves at Avalon State Park, which lies between Vero Beach, FL and Fort Pierce FL. Only four of the whales survived and received temporary care at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic institute from the SeaWorld Rescue team until they were stable for transport to SeaWorld Orlando. Like most rescues, it was a joint effort between SeaWorld, Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic institute, FWC, the Marine Mammal Conservancy, and the Ocean Embassy. The surviving whales were under weight and needed round-the-clock expert care. The outcome was great and the four pilot whales fully recovered, but were deemed not releasable. They remained under the care of SeaWorld Orlando and were later moved to the Whale and Dolphin Theater. Today, you can see that Ava, Ace, Piper, Freddi have all received a second chance at life and are all doing well. You can see them in the new pilot whale segment in Blue Horizons.
November 2014 –72 Cold Stunned Turtles
The New England Aquarium and volunteers of the Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary rescued 193 cold-stunned Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles. The Coast Guard flew 72 of the turtles to SeaWorld Orlando, where the SeaWorld rescue team accessed the health of each one and stabilized them so that the could regain their strength with the hope of releasing them, after they made a full recovery. The rescue team began releasing the sea turtles in the spring of 2015. Some of turtles are still recovering and will be released as soon as they get a clean bill of health.
February 2015- 19 manatees
One of the most amazing rescues happened in 2015 with live coverage from several local news channels. 19 manatees sought warm water in a drainpipe in a Satellite Beach, Florida residential area after a cold snap in weather. The FWC, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the local community Police and Firefighters, and SeaWorld worked through the night, and all 19 manatees were safely rescued. Some had minor injuries, but were treated on-site and released. The entire rescue took almost nine hours, required heavy machinery, and a little ingenuity. This was a huge success and one for the record books.
May 2015 – Record Breaking 800 Sea Lions Rescued
This year, there have been many sea lion pups that have been orphaned and found to be malnourished. SeaWorld believes that the high incidences of pup abandonment are linked to deplete sea lion fishing grounds. This has caused sea lion mothers to go farther looking for food. They are not able to give their pups the nutrition that they need and this results in abandoning their pups. The higher temperatures may be contributing as well. SeaWorld has upwards of 200 hundred in their care at one time, but they go out of their way to ensure that the sea lions do not associate humans with food, so that they can expedite their release as soon as they are healthy, ready, and have been approved for release.
September 2005 – Winter’s Tale
Winter was rescued in Fort Pierce, Florida by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and was transferred to Clearwater Marine Aquarium for her rehabilitation and continuum care. We all know the story of Winter the dolphin, especially after the movie release, but did you know that SeaWorld was involved in her rehabilitation? Dr. Clay, played by Harry Connick Jr. was loosely based on Dr. Mike Walsh, who now the associate director of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine’s Aquatic Animal Health program. Dr. Walsh was the director of Veterinary Services at SeaWorld Orlando at the time od Winter’s rescue. He was involved in Winter’s rehabilitation and was the person who figured out how to get blood samples from her, as blood samples are normally taken from tail. Winter’s fluke was removed because the buoy line that entangled her tail cut off the blood supply. Walsh forged the relationship with Ganger Prosthetics and Orthotics out of Maine. They created a specialized sock that was gentle on Winter’s sensitive skin. While it is a work in progress, the prosthetic and gel need to be altered routinely as Winter ages. Because of Winter’s unique situation, other members of the UF Veterinary school have been involved to provide treatments to manage Winter’s condition because it has never been seen before as she is the only known dolphin know to survive without a fluke. Some of these include acupressure, laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasound, massage and stretching exercises. She is a happy and healthy and enjoying all of the new visitors to her home at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida.
It is clear that the SeaWorld Rescue teams have made a difference over the years and their love and compassion continues to drive them. They have learned a lot over the years on how to successfully rescue and rehabilitate injured marine life so that the animals have the best chance at a full recovery. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and the team, along with the veterinary staff, occasionally has to make tough decisions. One thing is clear, they always make the best decisions for the animals.
We all could make their jobs easier if we do our part. Think about that! Just by using reusable bags and recycling, we can reduce the amount of plastic released into the oceans. Making sure monofilament fishing line is properly disposed of is another great way to protect our oceans. Likewise cautious boating can help save lives as well. All of these would prevent the top three dangers to marine life. Let’s all make smart decisions to create positive change. Change starts with you and we can all help to make a difference.
So, join with me in congratulating these heroes on the successful rescue and rehabilitation of 26,000 animals. The world is truly a better place with these dedicated individuals along with other dedicated individuals in other organizations such as Hubbs-SeaWorld, FWC, and all of the organizations in the sea turtle and marine mammal stranding networks at the helm of these great rescue and rehabilitation programs.
Daniel Stanton has a passion for animals and conservation. He holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Biology from Winthrop University where he did his thesis on the evolution of circadian clock genes in the lower Metazoa. He is a Sr. Biological Scientist at the University of Florida, and has experience in various areas of biology. Mr. Stanton has presented his research at many scientific meetings and worked on many scientific publications in collaboration with fellow researchers. He believes that one person can make a difference and create a wave of positive change.