PROTECTING MANATEES As a partner to the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership ( MRP ), The Seas With Nemo & Friends serves as a safe space for manatees to recover when they can ’ t do so independently in the wild . Until recently , you could visit some long-term resident manatees — Lil ’ Joe , Inigo , and Lou — in a guest-facing section of the pavilion that straddles two floors . The pavilion also houses more manatees receiving short-term care backstage . At press time , a representative from Disney told me new short-term resident manatees in need of care would arrive “ in the next few days ” ( likely by the time this magazine reaches you !); some will make appearances where Lil ’ Joe , Inigo , and Lou previously swam “ on show .” Disney ’ s animal care experts work around the clock to help these manatees heal and return to the wild , like recent releases Jolo and Plantaina .
To ensure these manatees thrive when they return to their native Florida waters , the MRP tracks them to determine whether they ’ re socializing and migrating properly . In some instances , a manatee might need to return to a facility for further rehabilitation before another attempt at release .
The rescue , rehabilitate , and release method has proved successful .
This work , along with efforts to protect and restore manatee habitats and to limit boating activity to prevent boat strikes , has led to a resurgence in the Florida manatee population . In the 1960s , the population dropped below 1,000 . Today , there are estimated to be more than 8,000 manatees living in Florida ’ s coastal waters . Their struggle is not finished , however ; nearly 2,000 Florida manatees died in 2021 and 2022 alone .
MANATEE MAGIC You can learn more about manatees , including how they live in the wild and the threats they face , by visiting the second-floor manatee section at The Seas Pavilion . Often , a Cast Member will be available to educate guests while feeding the manatees their favorite food : lettuce . The last time I visited the manatees — a must-do experience on every trip to EPCOT for me — a Cast Member spoke with me about their diet .
“ Lettuce is pretty nutritionally comparable to the seagrass they would find in the wild ,” she told me , chucking entire heads of romaine into the water for Inigo and Lil ’ Joe to devour whole . “ You might be wondering how an animal gets to 2,000 pounds by eating lettuce all day . Well , though these animals look kind of fat , they don ’ t have as much fat on them as you ’ d think . That ’ s one of the reasons they have to stay in warmer water .”
The Cast Member also taught me , and the crowd that formed around Inigo and Lil ’ Joe , about manatees ’ marching molars , the hairs on their body that help them navigate , and their semi-social structures in the wild . Each time I visit , I ’ m amazed by something new a Cast Member teaches me — but mostly I ’ m happy to simply lean on the railing and watch the two manatees roll in the water without a care in the world , occasionally munching on lettuce and , undoubtedly , passing a lot of gas . ( Manatees are a flatulent species .)
Note : At press time , this exhibit was temporarily closed as Disney prepared the facility to welcome new manatees in critical care . While Disney has not confirmed a date , it ' s possible the new manatees will arrive by the time this issue reaches you — or if not , soon after !
Manatees at EPCOT munch on roughly 100 heads of lettuce each day . © DISNEY