Dolphin Research Center (DRC), located in Grassy Key, Florida, has reported that its Manatee Rescue Team responded to more manatee rescues by May 2025 than it did throughout all of 2024. The organization is the only licensed manatee rescue team in the Florida Keys.
The DRC works with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and operates under the medical supervision of Dr. Scott Gearhart, its in-house veterinarian. The rescue team assesses and responds to manatees in distress, transporting injured or sick animals to licensed rehabilitation facilities until they are ready to return to their natural habitat.
Preston Surrage, a member of the Manatee Rescue Team and Environmental Services at DRC, emphasized the importance of each rescue effort: “Every rescue matters, because every manatee matters,” said Surrage. “I’ve stood in the water with manatees barely moving, helped carry them into transport vehicles, and waited in the shallows during releases to see them swim free again. Those moments stay with you forever and remind you why we do this.”
Surrage also noted the role of community support: “This is what makes the Keys so special,” Surrage added. “It’s a community that comes together—not just for people, but for animals too. Every act of kindness makes a real difference.”
The Dolphin Research Center is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations, memberships, and visitor support to continue its work rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals.
Founded in 1984, DRC focuses on education, research, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts involving dolphins, sea lions, and manatees.
For more information or ways to support these conservation efforts, visit www.dolphins.org or follow DRC on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
