MERMAID ALERT! This New Addition Is the BEST Thing To Arrive in EPCOT This Month

A lot of people don’t even know this, but EPCOT has a HUGE aquarium! There are all kinds of beautiful fish and aquatic mammals living in The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion in EPCOT, and we highly recommend a visit on your next trip. Why? One word: MERMAID.

We LOVE the manatees!

No, there’s not a real-life mermaid in EPCOT (though you can meet Ariel at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall), but you can meet a manatee named Mermaid, and if you ask us, that’s even better. Let’s meet the newest addition to The Seas Pavilion in EPCOT!

Mermaid the manatee was moved into the Seas Pavilion on Wednesday, March 19th. According to a Cast Member, she came from the Homosassa River in an “emaciated state.” Poor girl! The Cast Member said that this could be due to a few reasons: Mermaid was possibly separated from her mother before she learned how to care for herself, or she may have been in an area lacking proper nutrients. Luckily, some animal care experts rescued her, and now she’s here in EPCOT!

Mermaid!

So, why is she named Mermaid? Look at her tail! It is scalloped or split, which was likely cut due to contact with a boat propeller (but Cast Members don’t know for sure what happened!). Most manatee tails are rounded, so hers is pretty unique!

Mermaid tail

According to one of our FAVORITE Instagram accounts, @drmarkatdisney, Mermaid weighs approximately 525 pounds (but she needs to gain a little weight to improve her health and strength!). She won’t be here forever — Disney is preparing her for her eventual return to the wild.

Via @drmarkatdisney

The manatees living in EPCOT typically don’t stay for long — the goal is to rehabilitate these creatures so they can eventually go back to their natural habitat. In fact, Lil Joe and Inigo (pictured below) were relocated to the Gulfarium in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area.

Inigo, the Manatee

Initiatives like this are increasingly necessary due to the “manatee crisis in Florida,” per @drmarkatdisney. Manatees face several threats, including habitat loss, the effects of red tide, and watercraft accidents. Manatees are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Manatee at The Seas

If you’re in EPCOT, go say hello to Mermaid and her friends! During our visit, Mermaid was loving all the attention. She’s a sweetheart!

Meet Mermaid, the newest manatee making a splash at EPCOT’s The Seas pavilion! With a name like that, it’s safe to say aquatic royalty has officially arrived! ?? pic.twitter.com/VSfifC3Ji2

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) March 23, 2025