July 10, 2009
Rita's tag was found just east of the Sanford marina by representatives of Sea to Shore, the group responsible for tracking Rita's progress since her release. The tag was found lodged between two pilings of the fence on the east side of the marina and broken off at the weak link of the tether, perhaps as Rita was passing underneath the fence. Rita's belt was not heard. |
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July 6, 2009
Rita remains in the northeast corner of Lake Monroe. |
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July 3, 2009
Rita has moved to the eastern end of Lake Monroe and has now entered the channel going southeast. |
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July 1, 2009
After spending several days at the eastern end of Lake Monroe, Rita is moving this morning west across the northern end of the lake. |
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June 29, 2009
Rita remains on the eastern end of Lake Monroe. |
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June 24, 2009
This morning Rita has moved to the eastern end of the lake where the channel begins south. |
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June 23, 2009
Rita bottom-rested in Bethel Creek Cove off the northeast corner of Lake Monroe at Stone Island. |
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June 21, 2009
Today Rita is still in the creeks on the northeast side of Lake Monroe; now she has entered the northwesternmost canal off Bethel Creek Cove. |
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June 19, 2009
Rita is still in the Stone Island canals. |
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June 18, 2009
Rita has returned to the canals at Stone Island on the northeast corner of Lake Monroe. |
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June 15, 2009
Rita is now in a little cove on the northeast corner of Lake Monroe's shore. |
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June 13, 2009
Rita is still moving around in the creek on the northeast corner of Lake Monroe at Stone Island. |
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June 11, 2009
Rita is still in the creek at Stone Island off Lake Monroe. |
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June 9, 2009
Rita was observed this morning in a creek at Stone Island in Lake Monroe with one other animal, feeding on water lettuce and gator weed. |
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June 7, 2009
Today Rita is in the northeast corner of Lake Monroe near Stone Island. |
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June 4 , 2009
Rita has stayed in relatively the same location, at the northeast corner of Lake Monroe along the shoreline. |
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May 31, 2009
Rita is still in the northeast corner of Lake Monroe. |
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May 30, 2009
This morning Rita has moved slightly southwest and is now at the tip of Mother's Arms. |
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May 29, 2009
Rita was observed feeding on pennywort with 3 other animals in the northeast corner of Lake Monroe close to shore. |
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May 28, 2009
Same area for Rita, now slightly north of 415. |
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May 24, 2009
Rita has stayed in the spot southeast of Lake Monroe in the channel near 415. |
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May 22, 2009
Rita is still southeast of Lake Monroe in the channel near 415. |
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May 21, 2009
Rita has traveled south in the channel southeast of Lake Monroe. |
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May 19, 2009
As of this morning Rita has moved from the Sanford marina area (where she has spent the last 2 1/2 weeks) to the southeast corner of Lake Monroe near Mother's Arms. |
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May 14, 2009
Rita had moved slightly west of her position with the group east of Monroe Harbor and appeared to be feeding on bottom. |
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May 12, 2009
Rita is still with the group of 6-7 manatees along the shore of Lake Monroe immediately east of the marina. |
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May 11, 2009
Rita remains east of Sanford marina with 6-7 animals, alternately mating, socializing, milling, and staying still on the bottom. |
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May 10, 2009
Rita is east of the Sanford marine, cavorting with a half dozen other manatees. |
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May 8, 2009
Rita has moved just a bit east of yesterday's position, but not far. |
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May 7, 2009
Rita is in a mating herd of about 6 other animals at the southern edge of Lake Monroe about 30 feet from shore. She is mating and socializing with the others. |
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April 29, 2009
This morning Rita has moved near the Sanford marina. |
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April 28, 2009
This morning Rita is at the mouth of Woodruff Creek close to the southeast edge of Lake Monroe. |
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April 27, 2009
Rita remains in Woodruff Creek. |
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April 25, 2009
This morning Rita has traveled over to the other side of Mother's Arms, still on the eastern end of Lake Monroe but a little more north. |
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April 23, 2009
Rita is in Woodruff Creek this morning. She has been going back and forth between the south end of Lake Monroe and Woodruff Creek. |
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April 21, 2009
Rita has moved slightly north from Woodruff Creek back into the southeast point of Lake Monroe by Mother's Arms. |
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April 17, 2009
This morning Rita is again at the southeast corner of Lake Monroe near Mother's Arms. |
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April 16, 2009
This afternoon Rita was observed milling and traveling southeast down Woodruff Creek southeast of Lake Monroe and spent 45 minutes eating pennywort and water primrose. She was with 2 other manatees. |
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April 13, 2009
Rita is staying at the southeast end of Lake Monroe along the south shore at Mother's Arms. |
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April 11, 2009
Today Rita moved southeast in Lake Monroe, to the bottom of the lake near Mother's Arms. |
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April 10, 2009
Rita has moved to the center of the southeast part of Lake Monroe. |
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April 7, 2009
Rita was observed today in the Sanford marina on the east side of the marina to the left of the seawall. She was milling and cavorting with 3-4 other manatees. |
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April 5, 2009
Rita has moved a little further north in the channel, back up towards Lake Monroe. |
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April 4, 2009
Rita has moved south from Lake Monroe and is in the channel to the southeast of Mother's Arms. |
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April 2, 2009
Rita is at the very east end of Lake Monroe. During observations over the last few days she has been seen in and out of the Sanford marina with four other manatees cavorting and bottom-feeding. |
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March 27, 2009
Rita is in the southeast corner of Lake Monroe this afternoon. |
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March 26, 2009
Today Rita has traveled south again and is now on the south shore of Lake Monroe, more to the eastern side of the lake. |
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March 25, 2009
Today Rita was observed milling just north of Lake Monroe at marker 115 with one other manatee. They headed into a small marina on the east side of the channel and milled back and forth to the entrance of the marina and back in for two hours. |
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March 24, 2009
Rita is in Lake Monroe this morning on the south shore. |
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March 22, 2009
This morning Rita is moving back up the channel. She is slightly north of Lake Monroe. |
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March 21, 2009
Rita is on the south shore of Lake Monroe today, even with the I-4 bridge. |
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March 19, 2009
Today Rita has moved into Lake Monroe. She is on the south shore near the center, slightly west of the marina. |
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March 18, 2009
This morning, Rita appears to be headed further south, towards Lake Monroe. |
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March 17, 2009
Rita was observed milling just south of Blue Spring, then turned into the oxbow there and fed intermittently for an hour on pennywort. |
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March 16, 2009
Rita has ventured a short distance north of Blue Spring this morning. She is in the oxbow across from French Landing. |
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March 14, 2009
Once again, Rita is at Blue Spring. |
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March 13, 2009
As of this evening Rita is still in Blue Spring. She appears to be the last manatee to leave the spring run. The river water temp is 23 C and the spring stays at 22 C. |
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March 12, 2009
Rita is still at Blue Spring as of early this morning. |
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March 11, 2009
This afternoon, Rita bottom-rested alone near the entrance of the spring. |
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March 10, 2009
Over the past few days the manatee count in the spring run has decreased to a couple of dozen animals. Most appear to be leaving the spring. Rita, however, was again seen at Blue Spring today. |
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March 9, 2009
After spending yesterday on the southwest section of Lake Beresford, Rita returned to Blue Spring today around 3:00 PM. |
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March 7, 2009
Rita milled around the southwest shore of Lake Beresford early this afternoon. |
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March 6, 2009
Rita stayed at Blue Spring again today. She was observed socializing with another manatee in the early morning and bottom-resting with three other animals later in the day. |
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March 5, 2009
Rita was observed today at Blue Spring in the spring run from early morning to mid-afternoon. She has been seen milling and socializing with other manatees brought into the spring by the recent cold front. Additionally, she has been seen engaging in some bottom-resting. |
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March 4, 2009
After spending yesterday at Blue Spring, Rita has moved slightly north early this morning to the edge of the oxbow just north of the spring, across from French Landing. Yesterday evening, Rita milled around the mouth of the spring with Amber (another SeaWorld rehabilitated manatee). Rita was also seen socializing with additional manatees there at the mouth of the spring. |
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March 3, 2009
Rita returned to Blue Spring yesterday afternoon and remains there this morning. |
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February 28, 2009
Rita and Amber have spent this morning in the spring run at Blue Spring State Park. |
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February 27, 2009
Rita was seen in the spring run at Blue Spring State Park this morning. She has exited the run as of this afternoon and moved a short distance south, perhaps in the oxbow just south of the spring. |
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February 26, 2009
Rita was at 10:30 AM at Blue Spring State Park by the Animal Care team of SeaWorld, Blue Spring park staff, and Sea To Shore Alliance.
Rita now wears a red and green tag. She went out to the river within an hour of her release and encountered seven passing boats. When each of these approached Rita dove and stayed submerged for at least one minute. An hour later she returned to the spring run, socializing with other animals including Amber, who was released half an hour after Rita. At 4:30 PM Rita was milling around the spring run closely followed by Amber. |
