Petition to free and rehome Romeo the Manatee nears 10,000 signatures as surf legend issues public plea

The fight to free Romeo, the manatee at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida, has taken a significant turn as surf legend, Kelly Slater, has now issued a public plea in its support. On Thursday, November 16, 2023, the 11-time World Surf League champ took to Instagram to call out the aquarium.

On November 13, a self-proclaimed whistleblower organization, Urgent Seas, shared aerial footage showing Romeo swimming alone in "ever deteriorating conditions."

Urgent Seas was co-founded by Phil Demers, known by his moniker @walrus_whisperer on social media. Reposting the @urgentseas clip on his IG story, Slater asked for Romeo's release, stating:

"This is crazy. Would be cool if everyone pressured #MiamiSeaquarium (they don't allow tags) to let this 67-year-old manatee be free for the remainder of its life and have dome companionship."

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67-year-old Romeo the manatee has been at the Miami Seaquarium since 1957

Manatees, also known as sea cows, are large, aquatic, and herbivorous mammals. They are known for their slow pace and peaceful nature. According to SavetheManatee.org, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Romeo lives in isolation in a small pool that is off-limits to the public. Urgent Sea's post stated that the Manatees are "semi-social aminals" and "suffer psychologically when not living in pairs or groups."

In the comment section of @urgentsea's post, Phil Demer stated that they were hosting a protest at the aquarium on December 16. The organization's post created quite a stir, with many demanding actions.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via Instagram/ @_m_d_o_1 @im_gona_shine, @german_moto__angel, @lily_batch_)

Soon, two separate petitions were started on Change.org in Romeo's support. One by Sasha Moor called to "Shut Down Miami Seaquarium and Release Romeo the Manatee," while the other was started by Gabrielle Miller to rehome the mammal. The former has received 8,220 signatures out of its 10,000 goal.

In a separate post, Demer claimed Miami Seaquarium is taking legal action against him for publishing "drone videos of their poor treatment of animals and the atrocious conditions they live in."

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This is not the first time Miami Seaquarium has come under fire for poor treatment of its animals

Back in August, the aquarium announced the death of its orca whale, Lolita, who was with the institution for over five decades. At the time, officials were in the midst of preparing for her return to the Pacific Ocean.

Lolita was the aquarium's main attraction and was kept in an 80 x 30-foot tank called the whale bowl, which she shared with her companion Hugo. However, Hugo died soon after due to an aneurysm brought on by repeated head trauma, as he tried to escape.

Since then, Lolita's isolated existence earning her the title of the World's Loneliest Whale.

Several animal rights groups and activists were continuously calling for her release as she was subjected to cruel conditions including below minimum-size tank requirements. Over the year, many blamed the ever-changing management for the animal's poor treatment.

The whale was set to be relocated in 2025 due to logistical challenges.

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Phil Demers had not made any other statements regarding the manatee at the time of writing this article.