Why Disney Adults Are Suddenly Running to the LEAST Popular Part of EPCOT

EPCOT has had a lot of changes lately, that’s for sure.

Test Track is under refurbishment and getting ready to transform into a newly-themed version inspired by the original ride, World of Motion. EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival is well underway for a few more weeks before we transition into Festival of the Holidays, and now, there’s a new friend over at SeaBase!

SeaBase is the aquarium located in EPCOT (yes, there’s an aquarium in EPCOT!), which can either be entered on its own, or you’ll exit The Seas With Nemo and Friends into it. It’s also where you’ll find Turtle Talk with Crush!

Here you can find tons of animals and aquatic life such as sharks, sea turtles, and Emma’s favorite, the manatees! Recently there’s been a shakeup in the manatee lineup — one of our favorite friends has been moved to another facility, but a new one has taken his place, and it’s time to say hello!

Lou, the manatee, was recently moved to another manatee rehabilitation center on September 11th, with Disney making a statement saying, “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,” according to the Orlando Sentinel. The change was done after new recommendations from the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services. EPCOT’s three dolphins will also be permanently moved to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach in late October.

So does that mean Lil Joe, the other manatee left, will be alone? No! A new manatee has been introduced into the exhibit, and his name is Inigo (yes, like the character from The Princess Bride).

Inigo is a little smaller than Lil Joe (who has refused to be released back to the ocean two or three times, according to a Cast Member), and you’ll be able to identify him by his size and also because he has some scars on his body and two markings, in particular, on his tail and by his neck.

Here, you can see a closer look at his tail marking!

We’re so happy that Lil Joe isn’t in the tank alone and that Inigo can continue on his rehabilitation journey at SeaBase.

Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest EPCOT news!

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What’s your favorite exhibit in SeaBase? Tell us in the comments!

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