EPCOT's The Seas Relocating Three Dolphins and a Manatee to Other Florida Facilities

Disney has announced plans to relocate some of the animals that currently call EPCOT home.

What’s happening:

Walt Disney World has revealed some updates to The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion at EPCOT.
First, one of the park’s resident manatees, Lou, will be relocated to another manatee rehabilitation center in Florida.
This rehoming will take place on September 11th and comes as Disney has been working with manatee experts including the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services on the relocation effort as part of a broader set of manatee moves.
While Lou will be leaving EPCOT, The Seas will be gaining another manatee to be a companion to Lil Joe.
Disney stated, “While we will greatly miss Lou, we do look forward to aiding this other manatee in the next stage of rehabilitation as we continue to do our part in addressing the manatee crisis in Florida, which has seen declining manatee populations in the past few years.”
In addition to this manatee update, EPCOT will also be permanently relocating three dolphins to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Florida.
Not only is this facility accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums and the International Marine Animals Trainer’s Association but is also led by a marine mammal expert who previously cared for the dolphins at The Seas.
This move will happen in late October.
According to Disney, while the team at EPCOT have helped the three male dolphins to thrive, the decision to relocate them comes following a comprehensive evaluation of what is best for the dolphins as infrastructure work progresses at The Seas.

Park impact:

Guests with previously booked Dolphins in Depth or DiveQuest through October 19th will still be able to enjoy their experiences.
DiveQuest is expected to return in 2025, while there is no mention of a return for Dolphins in Depth.

Of note:

The Seas pavilion has recently seen some other changes including introducing an interactive game inspired by the Nat Geo series OceanXplorers.

What they’re saying:

Disney: “Our commitment to conservation and care for animals remains at the core of what we do, and the Cast Members who care for these marine mammals and other sea life will remain at The Seas continuing to focus on key species and conservation initiatives represented in the pavilion.”

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