‘We want to help manatees.’ Bishop Museum’s renovated aquarium will feel more like home

2021 is shaping up to be an even deadlier year for the gentle giants of Florida’s waterways.

From Jan. 1 to March 19, 539 manatees died in Florida waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That’s compared to 637 in all of 2020, considered to be one of the deadliest years for manatees.

The cycle of care across Florida to rescue and rehabilitate manatees is critical to their survival and the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Manatee Habitat at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in downtown Bradenton plays an important role in that process.

After closing in February for a complete renovation and remodeling of the manatee habitat, the aquarium welcomed two juvenile females to its new habitat last week. The center will reopen to the public on Wednesday.

The two manatees, Janus and Iclyn, were rescued in the Sarasota area in January. They were treated at Zoo Tampa’s critical care hospital and will undergo their final stage of care at the Bishop before eventually being released back into the wild.

Janus, the smaller of the two manatees, got trapped in a small canal after the water went down from high tide and was separated from her mother. Iclyn was rescued after suffering from cold stress.

Iclyn also has a noticeable scar from a propeller wound.

“Unfortunately, propeller strikes are so common that it’s one of the ways scientists identify the manatees,” said Remi Gonzalez, director of communications and brand at the Bishop.

The $400,000 renovation to the aquarium was made possible with a grant from the FWC, as well as private donations from the Daniel S. Blalock Jr. Charitable Foundation and the Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation Trust.

The aquarium was formerly home to the beloved Snooty until his drowning death in July of 2017 just days after celebrating his 69th birthday. Snooty held the world record as the oldest living manatee in captivity and would have celebrated his 74th birthday next month.

While the aquarium still includes the same pool, the habitat features new designs that are more like a manatee’s natural habitat. The upgrades include meditative mural and new carpet. Inside the tank are new features, including varying depths and a textured bottom to mimic the sandy bottoms where manatees like to scrub away algae and barnacles that can attach to their bodies.

Everything inside the new exhibit has a purpose, according to Virginia Edmonds, director of animal care.

“We put a lot of thought into all the things we could do for the habitat for the manatees here and making it a little more natural,” Edmonds said. “It did take a lot of planning. We looked for design companies that work with zoos and aquariums so they design environments that look and feel like natural habitats for the animals.”

Edmonds said the planning took about a year before the habitat was closed in February for the work. The entire staff, as well as the museum’s veterinarian, all played a role.

“We’re really happy with how it turned out,” Edmonds said. “Now that we’re seeing manatees in the pool for the first time, it’s pretty exciting to see them use the things we thought they could use, so that’s a very rewarding feeling.”

There were admittedly some nerves on edge when Janus and Icyln first entered the new habitat. So much so that Edmonds spent the first night at the aquarium, checking on the young manatees throughout the day and overnight.

Both manatees appear to be right at home in their new temporary environment where they will be monitored, cared for, loved and nurtured back to a healthy weight deemed suitable for a return to the wild.

“I think most people know this has been a hard year on manatees so we always need our critical care space at the hospitals,” Edmonds said. “So being able to do our part opens up space and makes sure there will always be space for the injured animals at the hospitals, is what we do. We want to help manatees, help our partners and get manatees back out into the wild while educating our guests.”

Guests are reminded that the Bishop Museum, located at 201 10th. St. W. in downtown Bradenton, is still requiring face masks and social distancing. Visit bishopscience.org to learn more.

This story was originally published June 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.