Currently, I help supervise the Animal Ambassador Team (AAT) at SeaWorld Orlando. This is an area of the training department that many of you may not realize exists, but you’ve probably seen in action. You may have interacted with the animals at the SeaGarden, attend a school where we’ve made an educational visit, or seen animals on one of our many appearances on TV.

SeaWorld Orlando animal rescue team received two hawksbill turtle hatchlings earlier this week. They are approximately two months old.

The first was found at Melbourne Beach by a tourist and was dropped off at the Sea Turtle Preservation Society in Melbourne Beach, Fla. It weighs only 2 ounces and is nearly 3 inches long. The turtle was in lethargic and weak condition when it arrived.

Yesterday morning, SeaWorld Orlando’s senior veterinarian performed surgery on a rescued sea turtle, removing a large fishing hook from its throat.

This morning SeaWorld Orlando’s animal care team traveled to Satellite Beach, Fla., a warm-water site, to release two manatees into a side canal off of the Banana River. Both animals were rescued and transported to SeaWorld Orlando last winter by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), who was also on-site assisting with today’s release.

Hornbills are unique birds that look spookier than they are. Native to coastal forests and woodland areas throughout Africa, a silvery-cheeked hornbill named George calls SeaWorld Orlando home, and makes appearances as an animal ambassador. Let’s discover more about the distinctive hornbill:

Fall is in the air, and at Discovery Cove, so are exotic birds. There’s a pleasant variety of beautiful birds at Explorer’s Aviary – one of which is extremely unique. Houston is a white-bellied go-away bird that’s been at the Discovery Cove habitat since the park’s opening in 2000. He may tell you, “G’way”, but he would love to meet you!

In the last 100 years, the African Painted Dog population has dropped a whopping 99% - down to just 3000 remaining dogs – making them one of the rarest species in all of Africa. These precious pups are often the victims of poaching, killings by farmers and run-ins with automobile traffic. But one organization has vowed to come to the aid of these defenseless dogs. The Painted Dog Conservation Program (PDCP) is focusing on research, education and community development in order to save them.

SeaWorld San Diego recently returned seven brown pelicans back into the wild. The squadron of pelicans was rescued from all the way in Arizona several weeks ago after they were blown off course by monsoonal weather as they were flying north from their breeding areas in Baja.

The Conservation Ambassador Program sends our zoological experts into the field to work on remarkable conservation projects supported by the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. In addition to the great conservation work that they do, our experts will be able to share their experiences with our guests and educate them about the important work that we all do.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute senior research scientist, Brent Stewart, has joined an exclusive group that includes astrophysicist Carl Sagan, explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and astronaut Wally Schirra as a recipient of the 2011 Lowell Thomas Award.