On August 31, a manatee returned to the spring-fed waters of Crystal River, Florida — which is widely considered the “Manatee Capital of the World.”
The manatee, Citron, had a unique story.
“Citron was rescued last year in 2025, but she had a short time with us, so we were able to get her out pretty quickly,” Elysa Tripp, a zoological expert and animal care specialist for SeaWorld Orlando, said in a Facebook video. “But unfortunately, she was re-rescued this year.”
In January, Citron was rescued from Kings Bay after she was found swimming on her side after she was injured in a boat strike. The veterinary staff at SeaWorld Orlando quickly assessed that she had a pneumothorax — a collapsed lung.
“The second time we rescued her, she had a watercraft injury that was a little bit more severe than her original rescue,” Tripp added. “She did have multiple procedures, including surgeries, where we had to bring her into the surgery suite, and our vet staff was able to do these procedures.”
Over the next seven months, Citron received around-the-clock care.
“We’ve been able to help her gain her health back,” Tripp said. “She’s been able to eat, and she’s no longer [having] any medical issues. Her buoyancy is great.”
Tripp said that the whole team at SeaWorld Orlando became quite attached to the twice-rescued “sea cow.”
“Citron is pretty special, being a re-rescue that we’ve been able to help again, and see her go through the cycle of rehab and returning her,” she said. “It’s really bittersweet to see this full-circle cycle again, all the teamwork that we’ve had, with the vet staff, our own team, and also other people from the park.”
Across its six decades of operation, SeaWorld has garnered a great deal of criticism from animal welfare activists and the media at large. In 2016, after the documentary “Blackfish” brought widespread condemnation from the public, SeaWorld ended its captive orca breeding program.
“By making this the last generation of orcas in our care and reimagining how guests will experience these beautiful animals, we are fulfilling our mission of providing visitors to our parks with experiences that matter,” Joel Manby, then-president and CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., said in a statement.
Today, SeaWorld remains one of the largest marine rescue organizations in the world. Since 1965, it has rehabilitated over 43,000 marine animals, with Citron being its latest rescue.
“We love Citron, and we’re so proud of all of our work and our [ability] to help give her that second chance of life, to return her to her natural environment, and to see her nice and healthy,” Tripp said.
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Featured Image: SeaWorld Orlando
