Happy Trails, Tom!

Another rehabilitation story found its happy ending today at Mosquito Lagoon.
Rescued on April 1, four-year-old manatee “Tom” made his triumphant return to the water this morning after the successful rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando. Relive his heartwarming homecoming here.


Tom made waves earlier this year when his care required a special visit to Florida Hospital in June. The manatee was being treated for injuries he sustained from a boat strike. Aside from major propeller lacerations across his back, Tom was also experiencing floatation issues caused by pneumothorax, or air trapped outside of his lungs. 

SeaWorld Veterinarian Dr. Lara Croft needed to see Tom’s lungs from all angles, and that’s where Florida Hospital stepped in. The rescue team was able to take Tom to the hospital for SeaWorld’s first manatee CT scan. Thanks to the Florida Hospital, Dr. Croft could learn more about Tom’s lungs resulting in an accelerated rehabilitation.  

Two months later, Tom has a clean bill of health and is back in his natural environment – another successful rehabilitation for the books!