SeaWorld nurses Southwest Florida manatee back to health after rescue

ORLANDO, Fla. (WINK) — Southwest Florida manatees rescued from cold stress earlier this year are recovering at SeaWorld Orlando, with one now moving closer to release.

• RELATED: SeaWorld Orlando treats Lee County manatees after rescue

WINK News was given exclusive access to the park's manatee critical care pools, tucked away from the rides and crowds. One manatee in particular, known as 2610, is making significant progress in her recovery.

"You can kind of see the effects of that cold stress, the white lesions around her face," said Mallorie McCormack, rescue team senior one zoological specialist. "I see the past boat strikes that she has, most likely have already scarred over and healed from that."

The manatee earned her name because she was the 10th manatee rescued in 2026. She was pulled from the Caloosahatchee River just upstream of the Orange River.

When 2610 arrived at SeaWorld, she weighed around 630 pounds. Like many manatees suffering from cold stress, she had gone without food for an unknown period.

"They're going to sacrifice eating over warm water," McCormack said. "So then we don't know how long they've been without eating."

Hydration helps the manatees' digestive systems recover. Caregivers start with a very dilute lettuce gruel to ease them back into eating.

2610's latest weigh-in showed she had gained weight, reaching closer to 700 pounds. McCormack called the progress "really, really good."

The manatee started her recovery in a smaller, shallower pool to help her regain confidence in swimming and diving to the bottom. She recently reached a major milestone by moving to a second-stage critical care pool.

"Her buoyancy is normal," McCormack said. "She can get to the bottom, she can get to the top."

McCormack said every milestone is significant. Everything is moving in the right direction for 2610.

Once the manatee gains more weight and her blood work improves, she will receive medical clearance. From there, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will release her back into the Southwest Florida waters.