ZooTampa Unveils Massive Manatee Rescue Center Expansion: 'Florida Waters'

ZooTampa's Largest Expansion Underway

• 🚀 ZooTampa at Lowry Park is undertaking its most significant expansion in history, focusing on the Straz Family Manatee Rescue Center and a new attraction called 'Florida Waters'.
• 💡 The project has been in development for two years and is set to open in the spring of 2026.

Enhancements for Manatee Care

• 🏥 The expansion includes a completely renovated building with new electrical, plumbing, and drywall, and is 5 feet taller to accommodate advanced life support systems.
• 🌡️ Manatee tanks feature perfectly temperature-controlled water, crucial for their well-being, especially during cold weather.
• 💬 Zoo staff report that the 17 manatees currently undergoing rehabilitation have not been disturbed by the ongoing construction.

New 'Florida Waters' Attraction

• 🐠 The new 'Florida Waters' area will expand beyond manatees to include a reef tank with Florida Keys reef fish, moon jellies, and a brackish water tank for game fish and invertebrates.
• 🦦 North American river otters will also be a new addition to the zoo's inhabitants.
• 🖼️ New renderings depict a bright, spacious visitor area, with the original large acrylic underground windows from 1988 being retained.

Funding and Impact

• 💰 The expansion is funded by ZooTampa's 5-year capital campaign, which raised $35 million, supplemented by a donation from the Straz Family Foundation.
• 🌟 This project aims to solidify ZooTampa's position as a premier destination for experiencing Florida's sea cows and enhance its role as the world's largest nonprofit manatee critical care facility.