Hugh, A Manatee Ambassador For Mote Marine Aquarium, Dies

SARASOTA, FL — A manatee who has called Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium home for years unexpectedly passed away on April 29, the aquarium wrote in a Facebook post. Hugh the manatee was 38.

Mote staff noticed a change in Hugh’s behavior earlier that day and began closely monitoring him.

By late afternoon, the manatee was found unresponsive in his habitat at the aquarium’s Marine Mammal Center, according to the Facebook post. Mote’s animal care team responded immediately and determined Hugh had died.

A necropsy, or animal autopsy, including full pathology, will be performed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Research Institute’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab to determine Hugh’s exact cause of death. The process could take eight weeks or more.

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Hugh was born at Miami Seaquarium and arrived at Mote from ZooTampa on May 2, 1996. There, he served as an ambassador for his species, “routinely and voluntarily” participating in manatee research studies, Mote said.

In fact, Hugh and his brother, Buffett, are the world’s only manatees to participate in voluntary, detailed behavioral research designed to aid manatee conservation, the aquarium said. “Hugh’s indelible and lasting legacy will be one of an invaluable contribution to the scientific understanding of manatee behavior and contributions to the conservation of his species.”

A former staff member wrote that she “loved working with him and Buffett and was always impressed during training time,” in a comment on Mote’s Facebook post about Hugh’s death. “As a former … employee, I know they’ll do their best to understand what Hugh passed away from. Sending the Mote manatee care and training team lots of love during these hard times.”

Mote said, “Our team is forever grateful for the time we had with Hugh and his contribution to manatee conservation, and we are proud of our staff and volunteers for the level of care we provide to all the animals at Mote Aquarium. Hugh was a beloved part of the Mote family and Sarasota/Manatee County community. We appreciate all the love and support as we collectively mourn his passing."

Hundreds of comments on Mote’s Facebook post show how beloved Hugh was and what he meant to both residents of the area and visitors.

We are so sorry for your loss. Our hearts and thoughts go out to everyone at Mote,” the Suncoast Humane Society wrote in a comment. “Many of us here loved to visit Hugh and Buffett throughout the years. He will be very missed by all!”

“Oh, sweet Hugh. He touched the lives of so many. We will miss him, and we will cherish the memories of him. So deeply sorry for the passing of this amazing being,” one commenter wrote. “I moved here in 1996 and had the pleasure of meeting Hugh, growing up with him and then raising my son his entire eight years of life visiting him multiple times yearly. We will always love you, Hugh!”

Another former staff member also shared condolences in a comment.

“I was the animal care intern in the early 2000s for a summer and fed these guys, cleaned their enclosure, helped with training and learned how to draw blood on him, and give him the command to pee,” she wrote. “This is devastating to me as I love these ambassadors and have been following them ever since I left and visiting whenever I could. My heart goes out to Buffett and the staff.”