Welcome Tanimura! Another new manatee has arrived at The Seas Pavilion in EPCOT.
The newest addition to The Seas at EPCOT is a manatee named Tanimura. We were able to catch her swimming around and munching on lettuce just two days after her arrival.
Tanimura is an estimated one-year-old and weighs around 300 pounds. Manatees typically stay with their mothers until they are between one and two years old, meaning Tanimura may or may not have been orphaned.
While we do not yet know much of Tanimura’s backstory, she is likely visiting for a short time as The Seas has shifted to a more short-term care facility.
Tanimura is already out and interacting with her much larger counterparts, Cider and Mermaid, who weigh in at 840 and 620 pounds, respectively.
The manatee tank is viewable on the first and second floors of SeaBase Aquarium. Information about the manatees is on a chalkboard in the second-level viewing area. Cast Members will also happily share more information about the animals. There are signs with information about how to help the vulnerable species.
Watch our video of Tanimura below:
The Seas’ former manatees, Lil Joe and Inigo, were removed in mid January and successfully relocated to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. Lil Joe had lived at EPCOT for several years, but Inigo had only moved to the park in September, soon after manatee Lou moved out to a manatee rehabilitation center. Three male dolphins were also relocated to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park.
The changes were recommended by the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services. The Seas has shifted from long-term to short-term care and will accept animals with more critical needs. This means we’ll likely a steady rotation in and out of SeaBase Aquarium over the coming years.
Are the manatees on your must-see list when visiting EPCOT? Let us know in the comments!
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