Cascade lounged on his back for the ride from ZooTampa to Eckerd College and the dismount onto the boat ramp. Photo by Penh Alicandro ’22
A ZooTampa truck pulled onto Eckerd’s campus, and parked at the Waterfront on Frenchman’s Creek. A crowd gathered around in anticipation. When the truck opened, the crowd saw what—or who—they’d been waiting for: Cascade the manatee.
Cascade was rescued in May after boat-related injuries, but on Sept. 17, he was released back into the wild.
“For me, it is always exciting and a joy to see manatees get released after being rehabilitated, but it is even more special when it is a manatee that we got to assist with,” says Assistant Director of the Waterfront Krista Park ’22.
Students on the Eckerd College Search and Rescue team were a part of both Cascade’s rescue and release. EC-SAR is the only maritime search and rescue team in the country composed of student volunteers who train in boating safety, firefighting, and, of course, wildlife rescue.
EC-SAR’s partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was formalized over a year ago, says Park, and it’s given the team an opportunity to build upon their skills.
Staff from ZooTampa and FWC were joined by EC-SAR volunteers to carry Cascade from the boat ramp into Frenchman’s Creek. Photo by Madison DeVore ’25
“How often do people get to say they helped the FWC pull a 600-plus (pound) animal out of the water so it can be rehabilitated and rescued?” asks Park.
Cascade was rescued just south of John’s Pass near Treasure Island, and he was experiencing buoyancy issues due to the watercraft injuries on his back, Park says. Cascade—unable to dive down into the water—was floating at the surface.
One EC-SAR volunteer at Cascade’s release, Mason Scheibe, a junior psychology and animal studies major from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was on call for his rescue.
Mason was in her Beta dorm room when she received the call. She hurried to the waterfront, put on her “blues” (EC-SAR uniform) and worked from the radio room.
Mason enjoys seeing an animal she helped rescue return to the wild, right on campus.
“It’s really cool knowing that we were a big part of that,” Mason says.
Mason is interested in becoming a firefighter or being on a search and rescue team after college. The EC-SAR team, she says, is “like a family.”
On the day of the release, students and the Eckerd community gathered near the boat ramp where Cascade would be released. When he was lifted by about a dozen people and carried into the water, cellphones and cameras appeared. Students leaned forward to get a better look.
Andy Garrett ’99, who works as a manatee rescue coordinator for the FWC, says it’s great to give back to the college he went to and for current students to have the opportunity to watch—or be involved—with these releases.
Cascade reentered the wild after several months of rehabilitation at ZooTampa. Photo by Madison DeVore ’25
Andy Garrett ’99 (left) coordinated and supervised the return of Cascade to the wild in his role as a manatee rescue coordinator of FWC. Photo by Madison DeVore ’25
“My goal is to continue to use Eckerd College’s waterfront to release manatees if it’s appropriate,” says Garrett.
Garrett guided those from EC-SAR, the FWC and ZooTampa in carrying the manatee, which laid on a tarp, down the boat ramp. They gently lowered him into the water.
Students watched and filmed as Cascade stayed nearby for a few moments. Then, he swam off into the bay.
Park is always surprised by how many people are willing to come out in the Florida heat to watch a manatee release. But the crowd size just keeps growing, she says.
“It is a really unique, warm feeling getting to see the Eckerd Community come down and get excited for things that we helped with,” Park says.
