On May 5, Dolphin Research Center (DRC) responded to an urgent call to assist in the rescue of a severely emaciated manatee calf at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
Upon arrival, the center’s trained response team assessed the calf, which was found to be in critical condition and in need of immediate intervention. DRC’s staff veterinarian administered preliminary care at the site of the rescue, stabilizing the animal for transport.
Following initial treatment, the manatee calf was safely transported to SeaWorld Orlando, where he will receive intensive, around-the-clock veterinary care and rehabilitation.
“This was a critical rescue effort where rapid response and collaboration were essential,” said Allie Proskovec, Director of Media & Marketing at Dolphin Research Center. “Our team worked quickly to provide life-saving support and ensure the calf has the best possible chance for recovery.”
It’s not the calf’s first brush with the Florida Keys’ rescue and rehab teams. In May 2025, the two-day-old young manatee, later named “Argyle,” was rescued with his mother “Stripes” as she she suffered from severe entanglement. After a stint at SeaWorld Orlando, the pair were released back into Keys waters just four months ago.
“We had a positive ID on Stripes the other day, but we were unsure if the calf with her was Argyle because of his size difference from release,” Proskovec told the Weekly.
Weighing around 250 pounds at the time of his January 2026 release, she said, the calf’s weight had dropped to roughly 70 pounds at the time of his second rescue. His appearance was so drastically different, she said, that rescuers were unable to confirm his identity until a scan later in the day by an FWC transport team en route to Orlando.
“We have not heard from SeaWorld about the root cause of the emaciation yet, but they have him on formula and we all have our fingers crossed,” Proskovec said on May 11.
DRC remains committed to the protection, rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals throughout the Keys and beyond. The organization encourages anyone who spots a manatee that may be injured, entangled or in distress to call the FWC wildlife alert hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).
