Disney World plans to relocate one manatee and three dolphins from The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT to other facilities in Florida, the resort said Tuesday.
A manatee named Lou will be moved to another manatee rehabilitation center on Wednesday. After Lou’s relocation, another manatee will arrive at EPCOT to be a companion to Lil Joe, a manatee currently living at the park.
The move is part of a series of other manatee moves happening across the state as recommended by the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.
Disney will also be moving its only dolphins from The Seas to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach in late October. The decision came after Disney evaluated “what was best for these dolphins as infrastructure work progresses at The Seas.”
With the change, Disney will discontinue the Dolphins in Depth backstage tour after Oct. 19. The scuba-diving DiveQuest experience will be temporarily suspended after Oct. 19, but is expected to return in 2025. All existing reservations for these experiences through Oct. 19 will be honored, Disney said.
The Seas’ 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium is home to fish, sharks, sea turtles, stingrays and other marine animals. Visitors will still be able to see those animals at the park.
The ‘Finding Nemo’-based attraction in the pavilion will not be affected by the changes.
