Walt Disney World's Epcot is set for a bittersweet change as it bids farewell to its resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins after nearly four decades. According to a report from WFTV, the three dolphins are being moved from their long-term home at The Seas with Nemo & Friends to a different marine life sanctuary, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. The shift, expected to occur in late October, reflects Disney's reassessment of the dolphins' welfare amid infrastructural developments at Epcot.
Disney's memo explained that the decision was made after carefully considering what's best for the dolphins during the infrastructure work at The Seas. This move follows a trend in the industry of rethinking keeping marine mammals in captivity. The dolphins will be moved to Gulfarium, which is accredited by key marine organizations, so that they will be well cared for.
Aside from the dolphins, Epcot also relocated one of its manatees, Lou, to a manatee rehabilitation center in Florida on September 11th. In the wake of this, The Seas will welcome another manatee to accompany the remaining manatee, Lil Joe. Disney noted, “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,” as reported by Blooloop.
The move is getting attention for relocating the dolphins and how it affects programs like ‘Dolphins in Depth’ and ‘DiveQuest.’ These programs will honor bookings until October 19, with DiveQuest returning to Epcot in 2025 after the move and updates. Disney is focused on marine life conservation and plans to continue their efforts on important species and conservation projects in the pavilion, as mentioned by Blooloop.
