Sheldon is a male manatee rescued on December 30, 2014, from Mill Cove in Jacksonville for cold stress.  He was 185 cm long and 320 lbs at the time.  He was rehabilitated at SeaWorld and has now grown to 225 cm and 585 lb as of December 23, 2015.  Sheldon was released on February 11, 2016, at the Cape Canaveral power plant and will be monitored by Sea To Shore Alliance through the winter until spring 2016. 

1. 01/29/2017 11:49 AM

   • Sheldon was actively socializing and cavorting in a group at the Canaveral FPL outflow, where more than 250 others were keeping warm. During a last in-water body condition today Sheldon still looked very good, with a rounded belly and no cold stress. His equipment was removed as he has completed a very successful year back in the wild!

2. 01/20/2017 02:48 PM

   • Most of the usual crowd at the outflow had already left, but Sheldon was within a small group in the corner by the seawall along with Squiggy, socializing at the surface.  It occasionally turned to cavorting.

3. 01/14/2017 09:10 AM

   • Sheldon slowly milled near the center of the power plant outflow for about half of the visual. Squiggy and Leonard were nearby. He then settled down within a smaller group of animals and remained settled on bottom.

4. 01/08/2017 03:17 PM

   • Sheldon was socializing in a group near the back boundary of the power plant, the eastern edge toward the center of the river. He milled eastward a bit out into the river, and then slowly returned into the outflow boundary to stay still on the bottom in a group.

5. 01/02/2017 09:40 AM

   • Sheldon and a smaller aggregation of animals were hanging out in the plant outflow, staying still on bottom.

6. 12/27/2016 09:13 AM

   • He was seen just south of the OUC plant, milling slowly and then staying on bottom with 3 other adults. Patches of halodule floated in the area.

7. 12/22/2016 10:41 AM

   • Sheldon and over 200 other animals socialized and stayed warm in the power plant outflow after a cool front. He milled in response to our swimmer being in the water to attempt a tag exchange but was quick to calm back down into socializing again.

8. 12/12/2016 02:13 AM

   • Sheldon stayed busy socializing and was much more tolerant of a swimmer being in the water than he ever is outside of the FPL outflow. He was given an in-water body condition assessment and looked very good, with a slightly rounded belly which had no folds and a well-fitting belt that wasn’t too loose. His face was also clear and solid in color, with no white spots.

9. 12/04/2016 02:11 AM

   • Sheldon was found resting within a small group.  After about 45 minutes he awoke and began to mill within the same area. He surfaced multiple times chewing on an unknown vegetation.

10. 12/02/2016 02:07 AM

    • Sheldon was the second of this year’s releases to make it back to FPL, reaching the plant a few days after Leonard, and Squiggy was there as well.

11. 11/05/2016 09:10 AM

    • Sheldon was found milling and feeding just south of Scottsmoor Landing. He was with 3 other animals and they all appeared to be feeding on halodule.  The visual was shortened by 30 minutes due to high winds.

12. 10/23/2016 12:20 PM

    • Sheldon milled and traveled in a group with at least 3 other animals near the center of upper Banana River on the west coast.

13. 10/15/2016 09:30 AM

    • Sheldon was found milling in a small cove roughly half of a mile south of Scottsmoor. He left the cove and slowly milled about 100 yards out into the open water. It was there that he met up with approximately 12 other adults and 1 calf. He socialized for the remainder of the visual. The water level was noticeably higher due to the storm surge/rainfall. The area was also abundant with vegetation.

14. 09/24/2016 10:24 AM

    • Sheldon was found milling in the upper area of Indian River. He was alone initially, but after milling for about 30 minutes he made his way over to 2 other animals who were socializing and feeding on some halodule. He milled and socialized with them for the rest of the visual.

15. 09/17/2016 10:31 AM

    • Sheldon was seen traveling alone on the west bank of northern Indian River, heading south. His pace was slow but steady. He reached a group of 6 other animals and milled briefly 100 yards east of shore. The group seemed to join him in his travels, and they all continued south.

16. 08/17/2016 12:48 PM

    • Sheldon was seen in a group with 9 other animals in upper Indian River on the west bank near the center. He socialized in the group mostly on the surface, but occasionally they went down to the bottom and seemed to be quietly socializing there as well, then milled slightly southeast along the west bank.

17. 08/06/2016 12:20 PM

    • Sheldon milled and socialized within a group of four other animals in upper Indian River on the west bank. It's possible some feeding was occurring although there wasn’t a visual sign of it. The area had a copious amount of vegetation.

18. 07/30/2016 09:50 AM

    • He was found near the Nasa Causeway bridge traveling south along the west bank by himself. He continued traveling for the majority of the visual. He reached the Reliant intake canal and was milling when I left.

19. 07/22/2016 02:20 PM

    • Sheldon socialized within a group of animals, not quite cavorting, about 150 ft off the bank of the middle of the west side of upper Indian River.  There were other animals in the area traveling by themselves, but Sheldon stayed with his group.

20. 07/14/2016 10:38 AM

    • Sheldon socialized on bottom within a large group of 15. They weren't cavorting but stayed closely bunched together, then broke off into a few separate smaller groups and milled around but not going too far. Lots of good food here, but they weren't feeding at the time.

21. 07/08/2016 01:20 PM

    • Sheldon also fed with the 2 adults he was with for the first 15 minutes, then stayed still on bottom with the others and occasionally milled for short periods in a somewhat southward direction.  There was lots of food floating around the area.

22. 07/01/2016 03:45 PM

    • Sheldon and 5 other animals were socializing and getting drinks of water at the popular hangout spot and freshwater source at Kennedy Point Marina.  While socializing he was staying close with one adult on bottom, then passed occasionally by the freshwater flow at the seawall.  Then he and the other adult next to him went to sleep on bottom.

23. 06/21/2016 12:13 PM

    • He was seen milling south along the bank with a mother-calf pair and one other adult, then they stopped to socialize at the surface just north of the 528 bridge.  He was approached for an in-water body condition assessment and looks very good, with a slightly rounded, full-looking belly with no folds, and his belt fits normally and is not overly loose.  No new obvious scars.

24. 06/15/2016 10:00 AM

    • He bottom-rested at the end of the Reliant power plant outflow canal with one large animal and one small adult, then milled along the north bank of the canal when he woke. When he got to the canal entrance he fed on mangrove leaves on the bank.

25. 06/04/2016 09:30 AM

    • Sheldon rested near Addison Point for the majority of the visual today. Two other animals were nearby. When he awoke he began milling, and small chunks of an unknown vegetation were observed floating, on which he could have been feeding but it could not be confirmed. He quickly moved away from the boat. Respirations were normal.

26. 05/25/2016 05:16 PM

    • Sheldon was initially observed leaving the Reliant power plant intake canal by himself.  I caught up with him as he was traveling south along the west bank of Indian River and followed him south towards the CCEC plant for the entire observation period.

27. 05/19/2016 03:15 PM

    • Sheldon was found sleeping soundly by himself in the discharge hole at the CCEC powerplant.  A fishing boat entering the area caused him to move, at which point he looped around the power pole structure and returned to the hole when the coast was clear.

28. 05/11/2016 11:12 AM

    • Sheldon was seen socializing with two other animals and then feeding on thalassia on bottom south of the Reliant plant.  The boat engine was turned off and we paddled in a long way to be as quiet as possible.  However, even when entering the water from a good distance away to try for an in-water body condition, he and his friends immediately began traveling away.

29. 05/03/2016 12:45 PM

    • Sheldon socialized at the corner of the CCEC FPL plant on the surface, in a group of at least 14 other animals.  A few of the others almost got into cavorting but not quite.  Then most of them settled on bottom, as well as Sheldon, coming up for regular respirations.

30. 04/26/2016 12:40 PM

    • Sheldon milled by himself outside the Reliant intake canal north of the plant.  Once he detected the research vessel idling about 75 ft away he traveled very quickly away into the entrance of the canal.  After calming down he began feeding on the mangroves on the bank.

31. 04/23/2016 09:08 AM

    • Sheldon was found feeding near the east entrance of the Reliant intake canal.  His head and neck breached the water several times to reach the mangrove leaves closest to the water and it was evident he still had a thick neck roll.  The feeding persisted for about 20 minutes before transitioning to milling and then resting.  A fisherman slowly trolled by and the disturbance interfered with his behavior.  As a result he traveled further into the canal where he stopped and continued to rest for the remainder of the visual.  Carmine and 9 other animals were also resting nearby.  At one point he slowly rolled over, exposing his ventrum.  It appeared slightly flat with mild concavity and no transverse skin folds were present.  Dorsum seemed rounded.  Respiration rates were normal.

32. 04/18/2016 01:20 PM

    • Sheldon was cavorting in a group of 18 others in the corner of the power plant outflow for 25 minutes.  His respirations were 3-4 minutes apart.  Then the group settled down to socialize quietly on bottom and nuzzle when they came up for breaths. 

33. 04/09/2016 09:19 AM

    • I located Sheldon traveling north towards the old Reliant power plant.  His behavior turned to milling and resting when he arrived at the far west end of the intake canal.  He joined 20 other animals including Sheldon and one small calf.  He socialized with Carmine and several of the others during the end of the visual.  Milling respiration rates were 5 minutes apart; resting rates were 10-12 minutes apart.  

34. 04/04/2016 05:00 PM

    • Sheldon traveled in to the FPL outflow from the middle of the river, then milled within the center of the outflow area.  He was with two other animals. 

35. 03/29/2016 04:00 PM

    • Sheldon was seen by himself close to the seawall just south of the old Reliant power plant.  The chop had grown considerably by that point in the day and he stayed still on the bottom at times in between short intervals of milling.  At one point when he lifted his head his mouth looked as though he may have been chewing, but I was unable to confirm.  He still had some fat around his face and neck. 

36. 03/22/2016 03:48 PM

    • After traveling from the old Reliant power plant back to Canaveral FPL, Sheldon socialized within the large group of at least 200 other animals near the center of the outflow, milling a little bit as well.  He was approached for an in-water body condition and looked very good, having a slightly rounded belly.  His face looked good as well, with the white spots previously seen having faded.

37. 03/22/2016 03:48 PM

    • After traveling from the old Reliant power plant back to Canaveral FPL, Sheldon socialized within the large group of at least 200 other animals near the center of the outflow, milling a little bit as well.  He was approached for an in-water body condition and looked very good, having a slightly rounded belly.  His face also looked good, with the white spots previously seen having faded.

38. 03/16/2016 12:34 PM

    • Sheldon milled by himself just north of the old Reliant power plant, near the docks coming out from shore.  He was approached for an in-water body condition assessment but immediately traveled away and continued to do so.

39. 03/10/2016 11:39 AM

    • Sheldon spent the visual traveling along the north edge of the power plant outflow with 2 other animals among roughly 75 there that day.  He was heading out in the direction of central Indian River but did not leave the outflow area, going to the outer corner.

40. 03/08/2016 09:35 AM

    • Sheldon socialized within a large group of animals at the corner of the outflow area near the plant building.  Cavorting was going on, but he and a group of others stayed off to the side of the more frantic activity and interacted with each other near the surface.  He also milled along the wall briefly.

41. 03/02/2016 09:00 AM

    • He milled and socialized in the central and east areas in the power plant outflow.  At least 100 other animals were there. 

42. 02/27/2016 01:00 PM

    • Sheldon appeared to be milling and resting in the southwest corner of the outflow.  MC Hammock, Carmine, Bernadette, Leonard, and Squiggy were all nearby.

43. 02/26/2016 12:38 PM

    • Sheldon was in the central, and later southeast, area of the outflow with more than 250 other animals.  Staying still on bottom, presumably keeping warm, and socializing with Carmine, who traveled in from around the peninsula, and Squiggy, who was released a few hours before. 

44. 02/23/2016 04:10 PM

    • Sheldon was spotted leisurely traveling in a generally northerly direction at the mouth of Cedar Hammock Creek in upper Indian River.  No obvious signs of whitening around the face, and respirations were normal. 

45. 02/17/2016 09:13 AM

    • He was seen milling with short periods of socializing at the power plant, in the center but somewhat closer in to the outflow, and then a little further out into the center.  He was given an in-water body condition assessment and was still in good body condition, at a good weight, and had a few white spots on his face. 

46. 02/15/2016 09:10 AM

    • Sheldon was observed milling and socializing on the north end of the outflow with several other animals.  His behavior briefly turned into cavorting towards the end of the visual.  An hour later Sheldon was observed heading north from the outflow up the coast. 

Data map is currently not present for Sheldon.