The 500-pound calf came to The Seas with Nemo & Friends after her mom was hit by a boat near Naples. Disney World just showed how she got there.
Not every EPCOT guest arrives by monorail. Calfuccino came in by crane.
Walt Disney World shared video of the young rescued manatee being lifted onto the roof of The Seas with Nemo & Friends, then lowered into a backstage pool. She weighs more than 500 pounds, so the front door was never an option.
Calfuccino made her EPCOT debut last week. She’s there for short-term care, and the goal is to get her back into the wild.
Here’s a full ride through The Seas with Nemo & Friends, which ends right at SeaBase, from Attractions Plus:
Why is Calfuccino at EPCOT?
Her story starts with a boat strike. Calfuccino’s mother was hit by a boat near Naples, Florida, and the calf needed critical care.
She got it first at ZooTampa, then moved to Walt Disney World to keep recovering. Disney’s animal care team will watch over her at The Seas.
Disney works with the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on manatee recovery. The Seas is one of the places rescued manatees go to get stronger before release.
Who are the other manatees at The Seas with Nemo & Friends?
Calfuccino joins two manatees already living there:
Cider, the biggest of the three
Tanimura, who goes by Tani
Both are also being prepared to go back to the wild.
The lineup at The Seas changes a lot, since the whole point is to send these manatees home. So if you see three manatees this month, you might see a different group next spring.
How long will Calfuccino stay at EPCOT?
Disney hasn’t said. Manatees in this program usually stay at Disney for six to nine months, KennythePirate reported.
Some go faster. Soleil arrived in February 2026 and was released in May after her rehab. Another manatee, Mermaid, was released in October 2025.
Where can you see the manatees at EPCOT?
Head to the Manatee Rehabilitation Center inside SeaBase at The Seas with Nemo & Friends. You can see the manatees from Levels 1 and 2.
The Seas is in EPCOT’s World Nature neighborhood. You can walk right in without riding The Seas with Nemo & Friends first, though the clamshell ride is a cute warm-up for little ones.
Manatee viewing is included with regular EPCOT admission. Since the animals are in rehab, their schedule comes first, so viewing can vary.
Why are boat strikes so dangerous for manatees?
Manatees are big and slow, and they spend a lot of time near the surface where boats travel. Watercraft collisions are one of the biggest human-caused threats to Florida manatees, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
That’s why rescue programs matter so much. A calf like Calfuccino depends on her mom to learn how to find food and stay safe. Without that, she needs people to help her get strong enough to make it on her own.
Florida boaters can help by watching for manatee zone signs and slowing down in shallow water.
What’s the best part of visiting The Seas?
Honestly, it’s how close you get. The SeaBase tanks let you watch manatees munch on lettuce just a few feet away, and kids lose their minds over it.
Add a stop at Turtle Talk with Crush, and The Seas can easily fill an hour of your EPCOT day. With Calfuccino now in the mix, it might be worth a little extra time at the manatee windows.
How big is the aquarium at The Seas with Nemo & Friends?
Huge. The main tank holds about 5.7 million gallons of salt water, which makes it one of the largest aquariums in the world.
Besides the manatees, you can spot sea turtles, sharks, rays and thousands of fish. The tank dates back to The Living Seas, which opened at EPCOT in January 1986. That’s why longtime fans still call the pavilion by its old name.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today (Oct. 15 and Oct. 20, 2026), the arrival, the crane video, the backstage pool and the other manatees
WDWInfo (Oct. 20, 2026), the boat strike near Naples, ZooTampa care, weight and partners
KennythePirate (Oct. 16, 2026), typical stay length and past releases
Walt Disney World (October 2026), the crane video
@DrewDisneyDude on X (Oct. 15, 2026), Calfuccino’s first moments video
Attractions Plus on YouTube (2026), the ride POV
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.