About Cadbury

Gender: Male
Current Tag Id:

Cadbury, an orphaned male manatee calf, was rescued from Ocean Reef in Key Largo, Monroe County. On the day of his rescue, April 9, 2014, he weighed 93 pounds and was 130 centimeters long. He was brought in to Miami Seaquarium for critical care, and then was housed at Columbus Zoo. He has grown to 231 centimeters long and 665 pounds. Cadbury was released in Key Largo on January 31, 2017, and will be monitored by Sea To Shore Alliance.

  1. 09/03/2018 05:25 PM

    • Cadbury was seen socializing with one other large animal in a canal on the bay side of Tavernier. Unfortunately he had already left by the time we arrived to try to remove his belt. Thanks so much to everyone for calling in their sightings of belted animals!

  2. 11/09/2017 09:40 AM

    • He was sighted by a homeowner in a canal in Plantation Key. We attempted a re-tag and came close but he was too fast and never allowed more than that one opportunity. Fortunately what could be seen of him looked to be in good body condition. We will keep trying to get him back online. Thanks so much to Kathi for reporting her sighting!

  3. 08/25/2017 09:46 AM

    • Cadbury was found bottom-resting by himself at the end of the canal, but heard my approach despite my best efforts and I wasn't able to get close to him. After dodging me for a while in the canal, he eventually had enough and traveled out of the canal system, then continued to travel south down the bay side of Tavernier.  He was not located the following day. Thanks very much to residents for reporting their sightings of a belted manatee!

  4. 05/06/2017 03:38 PM

    • I was able to locate Cadbury today on Plantation Key and attempted to re-tag him. He was with a group of 3 other animals who were curious about me in the water; however, Cadbury was not. The water was murky and he did not socialize near the surface where he would have been visible. I swam further west in the canal and observed him along the mangroves, but he did not remain near the surface for very long, and I was unable to locate him again.

  5. 03/12/2017 02:36 PM

    • Cadbury was located via belt in the seagrass flats of Buttonwood Sound, with 18 other animals in the area, but was not able to be re-tagged.

  6. 03/08/2017 12:54 PM

    • Cadbury bottom-rested and socialized in a lagoon south of Calusa Campground. He was in a group of about 20 other animals. From the surface, body condition still looks very good. He avoided all efforts to re-tag him, however. Very poor water clarity.

  7. 02/23/2017 09:18 AM

    • Cadbury was seen hanging out quietly on bottom and socializing with the other 10 animals in the area just south of Calusa Campground. Cavorting was going on in a group but he remained on the sidelines. Re-tagging was attempted but he never allowed me to come close.

  8. 02/20/2017 09:45 AM

    • After the re-tag attempt he traveled south several miles along the east side of Buttonwood Sound and was found bottom-resting in a canal. Despite entering the water quietly he woke up immediately and started to mill over to check me out. He must have recognized me right away from the previous day’s encounter because he took off right away for several hours of high-speed traveling. I’m continuing to work on re-tagging him. Thank you to Ginger and Rod, Eric, and the other folks in the area for all their help keeping an eye out for Cadbury!

  9. 02/19/2017 09:23 AM

    • He socialized and milled in a large group in the canal system at Calusa Campground, then came around the bend and went south. When he began to socialize near the surface at the end of a canal he was approached for re-tagging but took off before the clip could be fully closed.

  10. 02/18/2017 10:21 AM

    • Cadbury was located via belt in a canal south of his release location, bottom resting on the sidelines of a cavorting group of 12 other animals. Many of them were curious about a swimmer, but Cadbury was not.  Water in the canal was very murky and he wasn't interested in socializing near the surface where he was visible.  Re-tag attempts are continuing.

  11. 02/16/2017 11:19 AM

    • Cadbury’s tag was recovered just south of Calusa Campground, the tether having broken at the built-in weak link, having likely gotten snagged under a boat in the canal.

  12. 02/12/2017 01:00 PM

    • Cadbury was observed south of Calusa Campground in Buttonwood Sound milling for 45 minutes. After that he socialized with 4 other animals. He grabbed and rolled with a female manatee and closely followed her for 40 minutes. Water temperature was 26C.

  13. 02/05/2017 01:35 PM

    • Cadbury was very active in the beginning of the observation traveling through Buttonwood Sound north to near his point of release. Although he did not encounter any watercraft he spent some time milling (and traveling) in the boating channel. He encountered other manatees on several occasions--two groups of single animals, and socialized with one, and then socialized with a group of 4 (3 adults, one calf) toward the end of the observation. There were several seagrass beds in the area, but feeding was not observed.

  14. 02/04/2017 01:14 PM

    • Cadbury was seen traveling in a canal within the campground along with a mother and calf pair.

  15. 01/31/2017 05:13 PM

    • Several hours after his release Cadbury was spotted socializing with at least two others in a canal just south of Calusa Campground, then leaving the canal and traveling out with at least one of the others.

Data map is currently not present for Cadbury.