DONATE: dolphins.org Dolphin Research Center (DRC) successfully rescued a young manatee calf in Marathon, Florida, following a complex, multi-hour operation that required extraordinary care to protect both the calf and its mother. The rescue team was alerted to a manatee calf that had a fan belt tightly wrapped around its body. While the calf was still mobile, the belt posed a serious and growing threat. As the animal continued to grow, the constricting material would have caused severe injuries

✨MANATEE RELEASE✨ Yesterday, Dolphin Research Center’s (DRC) Manatee Rescue Team, in partnership with SeaWorld Orlando and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), successfully released a rehabilitated mother manatee and her calf at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida. The mother manatee, named Stripes, and her calf, Argyle, were originally rescued by Dolphin Research Center after Stripes was found suffering from a severe fishing line entanglement aroun

On June 18, 2025, Dolphin Research Center rescued, treated and released a manatee mother and her calf, in coordination with the MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) in Marathon, FL. The adult female manatee was found with fishing line tightly wrapped around her right pectoral flipper. The line had cut deep into her flesh—more than an inch deep—posing a severe risk to her health. Her calf stayed by her side throughout the rescue. Dr. Scott Gearhart, Dolphin Research Center’s full-time on-staff v