A 1,400-Pound Manatee Lost Her Flipper to a Crab Trap. SeaWorld Is Giving Her a Second Chance

A 1,400-pound manatee is recovering at SeaWorld Orlando after a severe entanglement in a crab trap left veterinarians with no choice but to amputate her right pectoral flipper.

The adult female was rescued from Florida’s Indian River Lagoon near Titusville after a local couple noticed something unusual in the water behind their home. A yellow crab-trap buoy appeared to be moving with the manatee, and as they continued watching, it became clear that the animal was struggling.

Terry Morse and her husband watched the manatee for hours before calling for help. Rescuers eventually reached her by boat and kayak and discovered that the crab-trap gear had become severely entangled around her body. The gear was restricting her movement and making it difficult for her to surface normally to breathe.

The trap was removed, but the manatee’s ordeal was far from over.

She was transported to SeaWorld Orlando, arriving on Aug. 27, where veterinarians assessed the extent of her injuries. The damage to her right pectoral flipper was so severe that the veterinary team determined it could not be saved. Surgery was performed to amputate the injured flipper.

Now, the Focus Is on Recovery

Despite the severity of her injuries, SeaWorld says there are encouraging signs.

The manatee is healing well and has begun eating as she receives around-the-clock attention from the park’s animal care and veterinary teams. At more than 1,400 pounds, caring for an animal recovering from major surgery is no small undertaking, but the goal now is to give her the time and specialized care she needs to recover.

Losing a flipper is a major injury, but it does not automatically mean a manatee can never return to the wild. Manatees generate most of their forward movement using their large paddle-shaped tails, while their pectoral flippers help with steering, maneuvering and handling vegetation.

SeaWorld’s rescue teams have dealt with similar cases before. Earlier this year, a manatee named Ralston was rehabilitated after a crab-trap-line entanglement resulted in the amputation of his left pectoral flipper. Following his recovery, Ralston was successfully returned to Florida waters.

For this newest patient, however, any decisions about her future will come later. Right now, recovery comes first.

One Couple Made the Difference

The rescue is also a reminder of how often saving a marine animal begins with someone simply paying attention.

Morse and her husband knew something did not look right when they saw the buoy moving with the manatee. Instead of ignoring it, they continued watching and called for help.

“It was scary because I knew she was suffering, but I didn’t know how bad she was suffering,” Morse told FOX 35. “We just simply wanted to get her help.”

That call ultimately put the injured manatee into the hands of a team capable of providing emergency surgery and long-term rehabilitation.

Her story is not finished yet. There will be more healing ahead and no guarantee of what the final outcome will be. But after an entanglement serious enough to cost her a flipper, this 1,400-pound manatee is eating, recovering and getting another chance.

For now, that’s some pretty good ocean news.

Sources: Seaworld, FOX 35 Orlando