BREVARD COUNTY, FL — An over 400-pound juvenile male manatee, dubbed "Melby" by some local officials, is on the mend at SeaWorld Orlando after being trapped in a storm drain and rescued by multiple agencies.
Local fire rescue units and wildlife authorities converged on Monday, Feb. 9, in Melbourne Beach to rescue the sea cow that was found stuck inside a "baffle box," an underground structure designed to remove sediment, trash, and debris from stormwater. Melbourne Beach is a coastal town about 75 miles southeast of Orlando, Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was a quick call from the public to a wildlife hotline anda fast responsefrom local, state, and federal agencies that kept Melby's life from just going "down the drain." Now, Melby is recovering — and hungry.
"He showed some interest in food during his first night, which is an encouraging sign," Kristen Turner, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,told Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Tuesday, Feb. 10. "His condition continues to be evaluated."
It was not immediately known how or when the manatee —a native, threatened Florida specieswhich lives in many of the state's waterways — wandered into the storm drain. Manatees are typically drawn to warmer waters during the winter.
'It took a village to free the sea cow'
Florida Todayreported that multiple agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Brevard County Fire Rescue, the University of Florida, andJack's Wrecker Service, responded to the beachside community at about 5 p.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 9.
Instructors from the Brevard County Fire Rescue and theUniversity of Florida's Veterinary Emergency Treatment Serviceshad been called in to assist with the rescue as they were wrapping up their animal rescue training, the fire department said.
"The large mammal was stuck inside a storm drain after seeking warmth from the recent cold temps," Brevard County Fire Rescue said ina statementon Facebook. "It took a village to free the sea cow."
Rescue workers continued their efforts for several hours as the nighttime chill descended on the area. Heavy equipment was brought in to slice into the roadway and remove the drain lid as lights glared.
Just after 9 p.m., the manatee was pulled from the underground baffle box after utility workers dug through several feet of concrete to reach the trapped mammal. A tow truck lifted the manatee out of the drain.
"During the initial onsite health assessment, responders noted the manatee was underweight and had multiple open wounds on the underside near the tail and flippers," Turner said in an email. "The manatee was alert and moving at the time of rescue but had been exposed to shallow, cold water and likely had been inside the culvert for an extended period of time."
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Melby showing 'positive signs of recovery'
Melby measures about seven feet in length and weighs about 410 pounds, according to theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He was then transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation.
"Our team was then ready to receive this over 400-pound manatee for expert care and rehabilitation," SeaWorld Orlando said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Feb. 11. "This gentle giant is showing positive signs of recovery here at (SeaWorld Orlando) like moving independently, breathing on his own, and showing interest in food! We're optimistic about his future and grateful to play a critical part in his journey!"
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted they could not definitively say whether the cold drove Melby down the drain, but that it was the most likely reason.
"While rare, manatees are naturally curious may enter culverts and similar structures, and these situations often go unnoticed," Turner said. "In many cases, animals are not found alive. This rescue had a positive outcome because someone immediately called the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline, allowing responders to act quickly."
Manatees remain a threatened species
Spanning around 10 feet in length and weighing 1,000 pounds on average,manateesare the gentle giants of the water. In some cases, the "sea cow" can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh 3,500 pounds, according to theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Thesedocile marine mammalsare categorized intothree distinct species based on location, National Geographic reports. The North American East Coast, including Florida, is home to the West Indian manatee. The Amazonian manatee is found in the Amazon River, while the African manatee lives along the west coast and rivers of Africa.
For years, manatee populations have been negatively impacted by many factors, including habitat loss, poor fishing practices, boat collisions, and pollution. They are still at risk even today.
"Abundance of the subspecies has increased over the last 30 years, which prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to downlist the West Indian manatee from endangered to threatened in 2017," according to theMarine Mammal Commission.
In 2021,manatee deaths in Floridareached a record high withover 1,100 deathsdocumented, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The Unusual Mortality Event, or UME,was from starvation due to seagrass loss.
The UME was closed in March 2025 after theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reporteda decrease in deaths, with 565 recorded in 2024 and 555 in 2023.
"The elevated manatee mortality numbers associated with this UME decreased three years ago and researchers have not documented a manatee death from starvation linked to a lack of forage for two years,"according to the agency.
Contributing: Olivia Munson, USA TODAY; J.D. Gallop and Malcolm Denemark, Florida Today
This article originally appeared on Florida Today:Manatee showing 'positive signs of recovery' after Florida rescue
