EPCOT's Manatee Exhibit Closed as New Residents Expected at The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Jan 15, 2025 in "The Seas with Nemo and Friends (Pavilion)"

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Manatee Exhibit at EPCOT's The Seas Pavilion Closed - January 2025

Posted: Wednesday January 15, 2025 9:22am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Both Lil Joe and Inigo, the two manatees residing at EPCOT's The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion, have been relocated to another aquarium, leaving the pavilion's manatee exhibit temporarily closed to guests.

Manatee Exhibit at EPCOT's The Seas Pavilion Closed - January 2025

According to Cast Members at The Seas, new residents are expected to arrive within the next few weeks, with plans to reopen the exhibit once the relocation process is complete.

Manatee Exhibit at EPCOT's The Seas Pavilion Closed - January 2025

The closure comes as part of ongoing animal relocation efforts and infrastructure updates across the pavilion. In addition to the closed manatee exhibit, construction walls have been installed on the second level, just outside the viewing area.

Manatee Exhibit at EPCOT's The Seas Pavilion Closed - January 2025

Despite the temporary closure of the manatee section, other areas of The Seas pavilion remain open to guests. Visitors can still enjoy the 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium, which features a variety of marine life, including sea turtles, reef fish, sharks, and rays. Popular attractions such as the "Finding Nemo"-themed dark ride and the interactive "Turtle Talk with Crush" show also continue to operate as usual.

The relocation of Lil Joe and Inigo is part of Disney's broader commitment to marine animal welfare and rehabilitation, with the pavilion often serving as a temporary home for rescued manatees undergoing rehabilitation.

More updates on the reopening of the exhibit and new arrivals at The Seas pavilion are expected in the coming weeks.

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JohnD11 days ago

Because of short term, either manatees will overlap and guests will always see at least one manatee on exhibit as they arrive or are transported elsewhere when their rehabilitation ends. Or they may be between periods of having additional manatees and the exhibit will be temporarily closed awaiting the next set. It is what it is.

Moth11 days ago

I mean, five manatees is better than two....

wdwmagic11 days ago

EPCOT's Manatee Exhibit Reopens with New Residents and a Focus on Rehabilitation https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/the-seas-with-nemo-and-friends/news/10feb2025-epcots-manatee-exhibit-reopens-with-new-residents-and-a-focus-on-rehabilitation.htm

DCBaker13 days ago

4 manatees have recently arrived for rehabilitation - Cider, Mino, Aberdeen and one currently unnamed. Cider and Mino are the manatees on-stage. The Cast Member we spoke with today said a fifth, named Mermaid, is expected to arrive soon. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54314697844_9eae5ff91a_k.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54314938470_d729a8fb5e_k.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54314756638_9ff7bd040c_k.jpg

nickys31 days ago

Except that Rafiki’s Planet Watch is the public facing area of the park’s Veterinary centre. And for as long as there are animals at AK, that needs to remain. Of course they can repurpose the petting zoo and the area between the rest of the park and RPW. But they can’t bulldoze the whole thing.

nickys31 days ago

Epcot World Showcase? From a stroller, of course. 😉

cjkeatingJan 19, 2025

If zoos can exist with entry prices a quarter of DAK and with attendance of hundreds of thousands I don't foresee how Disney can't deal with the cost of animal upkeep.

hismattjestyJan 19, 2025

Disney's Adventure Kingdom? (This is only in jest, but I put nothing past Bob anymore......)

celluloidJan 19, 2025

Neither are injured wild ones. That was the point.

Mr. SullivanJan 18, 2025

Quite a significant difference yes. Oceanic creatures can travel thousands of miles in their lifetimes. They move constantly. This is why a lot of marine animals, especially the exceptionally intelligent ones, tend to get very restless when in captivity. They’re smart enough to recognize they’re enclosed. Your dog or cat thinks of it as a chore to move from the living room to the bedroom.

Tha RealestJan 18, 2025

That, and the competition has gotten a lot better. Back in the mid to late 90’s I don’t recall there being as many world class zoos around. Now? The theming and wildlife variability in many mid to large size city zoos is quite impressive.

Fido ChuckwagonJan 18, 2025

What? No. It’s a domesticated animal. Poodles are not adapted to survive in the wild.

CliffJan 18, 2025

It's not a bad idea. There are probably a few more things Burbank could do to get operations costs down at The Seas. Maybe they could turn off the "Nemo" shell dark-ride part and just make it a back-door, walk-in attraction only. Shutting off the moving ride and not having to maintain those show mechanics could save a few dollars at the end of the year and you won't need to staff that anymore either. That could maybe get a dozen people off their books too and of course cut down on the power bill too. Getting the dolphins and manatees out probably means they can cut down on constant veterinarian staff too. Having just fish to maintain probably requires minimal, less skilled staff for simple scheduled feeding. If a manatee or dolphin dies, it's a huge PR scandal and the state would investigate. Too much liability. Were those dolphins insured? If a jack, tarpon, shark or ray dies, nobody cares or even notices. Maybe water filtering, PH balance checks can be outsourced to a once a week checkup? Also, anything paid to contractors or to a 3rd party company is an added tax write-off too. So, that's a good thing for Burbank.

CliffJan 18, 2025

I would love to see the books on how much big cats, chimps and all the animals on the tour cost. I can only guess that the food, vet care, labor, monitoring and pharmaceuticals costs are extremely expensive. I have to guess that Burbank financial analysts look at Animal Kingdom's books very hard. I wonder if they are happy with the ROI ratio in recent years.