January was Manatee Awareness Month at Pura Vida. To help raise awareness, guest speaker Kelsey Jennings from the Save The Manatee Club opened our hearts and minds to the world of the manatee during our January Social Night.
Through generous donations made by the evenings participants and the staff, Pura Vida was able to adopt seven manatees from the Save The Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee Program.
The manatee adoption packets have arrived and Pura Vida is now the proud sponsor of seven manatees. Each packet came with an official biography and picture for the following manatees:
Adoptees from Blue Spring State Park:
LENNY was born to Luna in 1978 and continues to winter at Blue Spring each year. Lenny is the resident “couch potato” manatee, preferring rest to all other activities.
ANNIE was rescued as an orphaned calf and was released in 2008. She is not shy and is quite popular with Blue Spring State Park visitors.
ROCKET is a male manatee, rescued as a tiny orphan in 2006. He was released with Annie, and they stayed together for over a year. Rocket can be seen at Blue Spring State Park.
Adoptees from Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park:
ARIEL was just two weeks old when she was rescued with her mom Amanda. She is a regular at the manatee education programs, lifting her head out of the water to “smile” at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park visitors.
BETSY was named after Betsy Dearth, Who was a ranger at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Betsy the manatee is very friendly, curious and quick to investigate anything new. Ranger Dearth called her, “the inspector.” Update: Temporary new home for Betsy.
LORELEI has been living at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park since 1994. She is very gentle and is often seen resting with the other manatees. However, she also likes to “work out” on occasion — swimming from one end of the spring to the other.
ROSIE has been in captivity since 1968 and is described as the “matriach” of the springs by the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park staff. She is known to be very gentle, and she often looks after the younger manatees at the park.
For more information about the above manatees, please stop by the dive shop to read each adopted manatee’s official biography.
To learn how you can help a manatee in need through the Adopt-A-Manatee Program, or to donate directly to the Adopt-A-Manatee Program, please visit: http://www.savethemanatee.org/adoptpag.htm
