Marine rescuers in Florida said they released 12 rehabilitated manatees at Blue Spring State Park in a single day, a new record for the group.
The Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership said the 12 manatees were released Monday at Blue Spring State Park, "a vital warm-water habitat for manatees and one of the largest winter gathering sites for this species in Florida."
The group said several of the rehabilitated manatees were orphaned as calves as a result of the "ongoing unusual mortality event," which resulted in thousands of manatees being left malnourished and starving.
"Over the past several years, we have been called upon to rescue an alarmingly high number of injured, sick and starving manatees off the Florida coastline," Monica Ross, chairman of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership and director of Manatee Research and Conservation for Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute said in the announcement. "Through the efforts of the MRP partners, I am thrilled that we were able to return the highest number of manatees to their natural environment in a single day."
The released manatees were outfitted with GPS trackers so researchers can continue to monitor their progress as they reintegrate into their natural environment.