Six Orphaned Baby Manatees Just Flew to Ohio. One Grew From 48 Pounds to 420

When Celine was found in Florida’s Indian River in August 2025, she was an orphan, she was emaciated, and she weighed just 48.5 pounds.

This week, she boarded a plane.

Celine is one of six rescued manatee calves that left SeaWorld Orlando on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, and flew to Ohio, where two zoos will help them grow strong enough to go home to Florida’s waters.

Six Orphans, Six Rescues

All six were found as orphaned calves along the Florida coast in 2025 and 2026, according to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Celine, Poplin and Gingham are females. Poplin was rescued in Blue Spring Run in Volusia County on Dec. 29, 2025, at 101 pounds. Gingham was pulled from the Eau Gallie River in Brevard County on Feb. 3, 2026, showing signs of cold stress, at 133 pounds.

The three males are Tuglet, Smidge and Zimomo. Tuglet was rescued from the Banana River near Cocoa Beach in March 2025 at 42 pounds. Smidge was found in Key Largo that April at 43 pounds. Zimomo was rescued in St. Augustine in May 2025 at 47 pounds.

From 48 Pounds to 420

Months of care at SeaWorld Orlando changed everything. Celine now weighs about 420 pounds. Tuglet is around 365, Zimomo 368 and Smidge 353. Poplin is about 304 pounds and Gingham about 317.

That means Celine, Tuglet and Smidge are each more than eight times the size they were when rescuers first lifted them out of the water.

At the Cincinnati Zoo, WLWT reported, the new arrivals will get plenty of food, mostly lettuce, along with veterinary care until they are big and strong enough to return to Florida.

A Flight With Foam Beds and Blankets

Moving a manatee is not simple. Each calf traveled in a custom-built container lined with an 8-inch-thick foam bed. Care teams kept them warm with wool and space blankets, checked their temperatures with laser thermometers, and misted them with water so their skin stayed moist.

The crates were so heavy that the cargo airline drew up a special loading plan to keep the plane balanced, and specialized forklifts were needed to load them, according to the Columbus Zoo. Zoo animal care and veterinary staff rode along on the flights, watching over the calves the whole way.

A Surrogate Mom Waiting in Ohio

The three females now live at the Columbus Zoo’s Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. There they share their space with Stubby, a longtime resident who often steps in as a surrogate mother for younger manatees. Stubby was injured in a boat strike and can’t be released herself, but she has helped raise others who could.

The three males went to Manatee Springs at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where they will temporarily share the pool with residents Slushie and Alfred.

Four Going Home

The trip was one half of a swap. On Monday, Oct. 12, four manatees who had finished their time in Ohio started back to Florida. Redrock, Rosalyn and Erie left Columbus for the Manatee Rehabilitation Center at Brevard Zoo, and Hundo left Cincinnati for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Their release is expected this winter.

Redrock shows how long the road can be. She was rescued as an orphan in May 2024 at 49 pounds. She went home weighing 528.

The moves are part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership. Since joining it, the Cincinnati Zoo has cared for 38 manatees. No release date has been set for the six new calves yet, but if they follow Redrock’s path, one day soon they’ll be swimming free in Florida again.