Nature
PUBLISHED
At the ripe old age of 71, Romeo the senior sea cow has been verified as the oldest manatee ever recorded.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Romeo is a resident of Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park on Okaloosa Island in Florida where he’s known for his chilled-out personality and love of lettuce.
He was born in the wild, so his precise birthdate is not known. However, when he was captured near Miami back in 1957, he was already a “subadult,” likely to be between 2 and 5 years old. Based on this, a conservative estimate would suggest he was at least 71 in 2026, although more likely to be in his mid-70s.
Manatees typically live between 30 and 40 years old, although it’s not uncommon for them to reach 60 years old-plus. Romeo’s exceptional longevity has just been verified by Guinness World Records, snatching the title of another individual known as Snooty, who died in a “heartbreaking accident” in 2017 aged 69 years old).
“We are so honoured to be caring for Romeo. He has touched so many people and been such an inspiration for ocean conservation for so many years. To be able to carry on that legacy for his species with him here at the Gulfarium is such a pleasure,” Patrick Berry, President of the Gulfarium, said in a statement.
Romeo is a proud father, too. He spent much of his earlier life at Miami Seaquarium where he shared an enclosure with a female manatee, first called Mabel and renamed Juliet. They parented a total of nine offspring, the first of which is believed to be the first manatee conceived and born in captivity.
There are at least three species of manatees: the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), and the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Also known as sea cows, these gentle, rotund herbivores drift through warm coastal waters and slow-moving rivers, grazing on seagrasses and aquatic plants with unhurried grace.
The Gulfarium is a member of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, an organization that works to protect and bolster wild populations in Florida. With the help of characters like Romeo, they hope to raise public awareness, inspire financial support, and advance scientific research that informs rescue and rehabilitation of manatees, as well as their long-term conservation.
“So many of us that have worked in manatee conservation have been continually amazed by Romeo. Over his time in managed care, he has taught us so much about the species, and much of what we know about manatee reproduction, longevity and how to care for manatees is because of him. Thanks to Gulfarium Adventure Park for providing him with a wonderful, permanent home to live out his golden years,” said Terri Calleson, Florida Manatee Recovery Lead at the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
