Thursday morning (August 2, 2012), SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue team traveled to Merritt Island, Fla. to return a rescued manatee and her two-week-old calf to their natural environment.

A loggerhead sea turtle was returned to the Indian River Wednseday, June 17 near where it was rescued last December.

Last Friday, SeaWorld's animal rescue team put their love and strength together to rescue a 1,380-pound, injured manatee from the waters of Sykes Creek in Merritt Island, Fla. The 10-foot manatee had severe injuries to the front right flipper caused by crab trap line. Fishing line was also wrapped around both of its front flippers.

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.

In July of 1989, a young orphaned manatee was rescued near Daytona Beach, FL and brought to SeaWorld’s Manatee Rehabilitation Facility. Weighing only 42 pounds, this tiny calf was named Lil Joe. After hands-on care, Lil Joe would grow to become a special, not-so-little manatee.