Rescuers save emaciated manatee calf Argyle again in Florida Keys

Rescuers pulled Argyle from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park after a new emergency call found the young manatee calf severely emaciated and far weaker than he should have been only months after his release back into Keys waters.

Dolphin Research Center responded May 5, the only manatee rescue team in the Florida Keys authorized by state and federal governments to help manatees in distress. Staff members said the calf was in critical condition when they reached him at the park, and a veterinarian gave preliminary treatment on-site before the animal was stabilized and transported to SeaWorld Orlando for around-the-clock rehabilitation.

The rescue was jarring because Argyle had already survived a much earlier ordeal. In May 2025 near Key Largo, he was rescued as a newborn alongside his mother, Stripes, after she became severely entangled in fishing line around her pectoral flippers. Authorities said the calf was about two days old at the time and at risk of not nursing properly. After rehabilitation, the pair were released off Key Largo earlier in 2026, roughly four months before this latest intervention.

By the time rescuers reached him again, Argyle had dropped from an estimated 250 pounds to about 70 pounds, a stark measure of how quickly a young manatee can deteriorate even after a successful return to the wild. Allie Proskovec of Dolphin Research Center described the operation as critical, and said the team moved quickly to give the calf the best chance of survival.

The case also points to broader pressures on manatees in Monroe County waters. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is one of the Keys’ signature marine parks, but it sits in a region shaped by heavy boat traffic, habitat pressure and changing sea conditions. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Florida manatees are a keystone species, and that collisions with watercraft account for 20% to 25% of reported manatee mortalities.

FWC says the public should report a sick, injured, dead, tagged, orphaned or distressed manatee to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC, or 888-404-3922. The agency says Florida has four federally permitted acute-care facilities that treat sick, injured or orphaned manatees before transfer to secondary holding facilities, part of a statewide response network built to handle continuing mortality concerns and unusual mortality events.

In the Keys, Argyle’s repeated rescues show how fragile recovery can be, and how quickly a routine day on the water can turn into a fight to save a calf that should have had his whole season ahead of him.