Meet A Manatee: Aqua

Identified by her obvious scars, she has had five calves

Updated September 15, 2022

Aqua is a female manatee and a winter visitor to Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida. Her first identification at the park was recorded on December 30, 2011, when she was medium-sized and believed to be around five years old. Notably, she bore a complex but faint scar pattern on her right flank at the time. However, in the summer of 2013, Aqua endured three propeller cuts on her left shoulder, and later that year, she acquired an adjacent large, white scar. This led to a temporary challenge for manatee researchers in identifying her, but today, those distinctive scars have become the primary means by which Aqua is recognized.

Throughout her time at Blue Spring State Park, Aqua has had a significant impact on the manatee community. She has given birth to five calves, with Teal born in 2013, Fabio in 2015, and three unnamed calves arriving in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Aqua’s presence and her growing family continue to be a source of interest and fascination for both researchers and park visitors alike.

During manatee season, check our Blue Spring webcams for updates on the latest news on Aqua and other Blue Spring manatees.