Each theme park at Walt Disney World Resort has its own theme, which makes them stand out from one another. At the Magic Kingdom, guests leave today and enter a world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy. Animal Kingdom teaches guests about different animals from around the world, how those animals rely on each other to keep their ecosystems going, and how humans can help keep the animals safe.
Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests are transported back into the golden age of Hollywood and some of their favorite Disney movies. And at EPCOT, guests can travel around the world, learning about different cultures, and enjoying a variety of unique food and drinks.
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While EPCOT’s World Showcase is the highlight of the theme park for many guests, several areas outside the World Showcase are just as wonderful.
Over in the World Nature neighborhood, guests can enjoy several fun areas, including The Land Pavilion, The Seas Pavilion, and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.
The Seas Pavilion includes two attractions — The Seas With Nemo & Friends and Turtle Talk With Crush. At the end of The Seas With Nemo & Friends, guests exit into a large aquarium, where they can see some of the creatures they encountered on the ride, including Clown Fish, Blue Tangs (what Dory is), and even some sharks!
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However, one of the highlights of the pavilion is visiting the manatees in residence. Disney runs the SeaBase aquarium, a rehabilitation program for manatees who have been injured in the wild and those who have suffered from cold stress.
Because SeaBase is a rehab program, the manatees do not stay there for a long time, but fans quickly fall in love with them. Back in January, guests were devastated to learn that manatees Iñigo and Lil Joe were no longer at The Most Magical Place on Earth and had been relocated.
Lil Joe and Inigo were unable to be released back into the wild, but Disney could not keep them long term, so they were sent to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, where they will comfortably live out their days.
Related: Goodbye Lil Joe: Fans Share Tearful Farewell To Beloved EPCOT Animal Resident
Then, in February, two new manatees were brought into SeaBase — Cider and Mino, but Disney was very clear about the fact that the pair would not be around for as long as Lil Joe and Iñigo. And while that was true for Mino, Cinder remains a beloved resident of the aquarium. Then, in March, a new manatee named Mermaid was introduced, and she and Cider have been buddies ever since.
Now, guests visiting The Seas aquarium can actually enjoy a third manatee who has just joined the group!
X user Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) shared an image of Tanimura, a juvenile manatee who weighs around 300 pounds! We do not know Taminura’s exact age, but manatees are typically considered juveniles before they reach five years of age.
Meet Tanimura, the newest juvenile manatee at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT! She weighs around 300 pounds and joins Cider and Mermaid in rehabilitation.
Meet Tanimura, the newest juvenile manatee at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT! She weighs around 300 pounds and joins Cider and Mermaid in rehabilitation.
pic.twitter.com/wsDvjUKBpn
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) June 27, 2025
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We do not know how long Cider, Mermaid, and Tanimura will be at EPCOT’s SeaBase Aquarium, so be sure to book your Disney trip ASAP if you want to see them. However, even if you miss these three, you can be sure that Disney will continue to help injured manatees, and guests will be able to watch their progress, celebrate their accomplishments, and (hopefully) their eventual return to the wild.
Do you love visiting the manatees after riding The Seas With Nemo & Friends? What is your favorite marine animal to see in the giant aquarium? Let us know in the comments!
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