Name: Rita Released: February 2009 Data Map

Biography: Rita has been at SeaWorld Orlando for almost 27 years, having been brought in because of a crab trap entanglement on her right pectoral flipper.  She was already an adult when she was rescued and has had one calf in captivity, Dundee, who was sired by Gene, both of whom were monitored  by the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership.  She weighed 900 lbs and was 300 cm when she was rescued. Rita was released at Blue Spring State Park on Thursday, 2/26/09 with Amber.

Field Notes:

2/26/09: Rita was released at 10:30 am today into Blue Spring, now wearing a red and green tag.  She went out to the river within an hour of her release and encountered seven passing boats.  When each of these approached Rita dove and stayed submerged for at least one minute, already exhibiting wonderful boat-avoidance skills.  An hour later she returned to the spring run, socializing with other animals including Amber who was released half an hour after Rita.  At 4:30 pm Rita was milling around the spring run closely followed by Amber.

2/27/09: Both Rita and Amber were sighted this morning at Blue Spring State Park by Wayne Hartley, and had both moved out this afternoon, Rita to the oxbow just south of the spring and Amber a short distance to the north of the run.  Currently, at a little after 6 pm this evening, they have entered the spring run again and are now milling around there, close together.

2/28/09: Rita and Amber have spent this morning in the spring run at Blue Spring State Park.  At 10:45 am they were sighted about 30 yards apart in the run. 

3/2/09: Since her release Rita has spent a great deal of time at Blue Spring.  She has gone out into the river a few times but never travels very far and returns shortly after.  She is there again this morning, hopefully in response to the cold front moving in.

3/6/09: Rita stayed at Blue Spring again today.  She was observed socializing with Bock at 7:45 a.m. and bottom-resting with three other animals at 11:00 a.m. 

3/7/09: Most animals are now leaving the spring run.  Rita was milling around the southwest edge of Lake Beresford around 12:20 this afternoon, but by 3:30 pm had returned to the spring. 

3/10/09-3/16/09: Rita continues to stay mostly at Blue Spring but makes short trips north or south into the river every few days.  She has not been observed feeding yet.  She was observed bottom-resting alone near the entrance to the spring run on the afternoon of 3/11/09.  On the morning of 3/16/09 she was in the bend of the oxbow north of Blue Spring and across from French Landing.

3/17/09 – 3/24/09:  Rita was observed feeding this week on pennywort in the oxbow just south of Blue Spring on Tuesday, 3/18/09.  Soon after that she began traveling south and by Wednesday was in Lake Monroe.  Since then she has spent the week moving up and down the south shore of the lake.

3/23/09-3/30/09: Rita was observed with at least one other animal on Wednesday, 3/25/09, in the small marina just north of Lake Monroe, and by Thursday, 3/26/09, she had moved down into Lake Monroe, moving along the south shore and out towards the center of the lake.  She was seen in the Sanford marina with four other animals Saturday, 3/28/09, cavorting and possibly bottom-feeding.

3/30/09-4/6/09:  Rita had gone south from Lake Monroe into the channel to the southeast, then north in the channel again just below the lake.  On Monday morning, 4/6/09, she was seen milling and cavorting on the east side of Sanford marina with 3-4 other animals.  She seems to stop by the marina every few days.

4/7/09-4/13/09:  Rita spent last week at the southeast end of Lake Monroe. At the beginning of the week she was milling around the east side of Monroe Harbor with 4 other animals.  On Monday, 4/13/09, she is now at the southern edge of Mother's Arms.

4/15/09-4/29/09: Rita fed in Woodruff Creek southeast of Lake Monroe on Thursday, 4/16/09. She was with two other animals. She has been moving between Woodruff Creek and the southeast portion of Lake Monroe.
Rita was with 5 other animals on Friday, 4/24/09, cavorting, socializing, and feeding.

4/27/09-5/14/09: Rita was seen west of Sanford Marina in Lake Monroe close to the wall on Wednesday, 4/29/09. She was still with the group of 5 animals, cavorting and socializing in shallow water. By 5/6/09 she
had moved to the other side of the marina and appeared to be involved in a mating herd. From 5/10/09-5/14/09 she still socialized with the other animals but did not often seem to be the focus of the mating herd.

5/12/09-5/18/09: On Wednesday, 5/13/09, Monica Ross gave Rita an in-water health assessment where she had spent the last week:  just east of Sanford marina.  Rita appeared healthy with no longitudinal folds on her 
belly.  She and the others were feeding on bottom vegetation, cavorting, and milling about 50 feet from shore.  For the past week she had been involved in what appeared to be a mating herd, so she is being watched closely.

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