In April, Chamber President John Newstreet and staff took an excursion under the sea with SeaWorld to learn about their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate sealife at their Orlando park. On a tour of some of SeaWorld Rescue’s on-site facilities, we met manatees, sea turtles, dolphins, and unique species of coral that are being given second chances at life in the wild thanks to SeaWorld’s team of experts.
SeaWorld Orlando has two manatees, Nina and Sarah, that call the park home full time, but at any given moment SeaWorld is also home to many, many more temporary manatee residents – from those receiving round-the-clock care at the manatee ICU, to those about to return to their homes, to the tiniest of sea cows in Florida’s only manatee neonatal unit. In 2023 alone, SeaWorld Orlando rescued 58 manatees and released 32 into the wild. So far for 2024 they have rescued 31. SeaWorld Orlando works with five other facilities around the country to make sure injured manatees get the care they need, and the Orlando park alone has tended to manatees from as far north as Virginia and as far west as Texas. Once they have reached a healthy status, every effort is made to return these manatees to the waters they originally called home.
Rehabilitating a manatee costs at minimum $250,000, and as much as over $2 million, per animal. For this reason, SeaWorld is heavily reliant on state and federal funding for their rescue efforts. Your park patronage also helps to offset some of these costs, which is an exciting bonus to a fun day at one of Florida’s top theme parks!
SeaWorld Orlando’s rescue work also extends to sea turtles. Sometimes these creatures wander a little too far north into climates to which they are not suited. SeaWorld’s rescue teams retrieve them to return to Florida waters. Just days before the Chamber visit, SeaWorld Rescue had released 30 turtles at Cocoa Beach. Some current residents at the park are destined to be relocated to New Smyrna.
In addition to the dolphins that park patrons can come in contact with at SeaWorld Orlando’s Dolphin Encounter, thanks to SeaWorld Rescue, the park also provides refuge to dolphins in trouble. When a two-month old baby dolphin was found injured and stranded in Clearwater, SeaWorld stepped in and brought it to Orlando where he is still rehabilitating. Between his injuries and loss of the influence of his mother, this little guy needed to both improve his health and learn “how to be a dolphin” with help from SeaWorld’s trainers and older dolphin friends. For a small dolphin the SeaWorld team worried might not make it, he is doing remarkably well.
Thanks to support from Florida’s representatives like Congressman Darren Soto and Senator Marco Rubio, the Coral Reef Restoration Act was passed. SeaWorld and the Florida Coral Rescue Center are working to grow hundreds of species of coral, including Caribbean species that die off and do not replenish due to a deadly disease that has devastated coral populations since it was discovered in 2015. These facilities give the coral a healthy place to grow and also give researchers an opportunity to study the disease, Stony Coral Tissue Loss, which disintegrates the coral’s skin. A few years ago 8 coral of one specific species was brought to SeaWorld Orlando. These might have been the last of that species, but today they have grown the population to 54. SeaWorld Orlando is home to 20% of the 3,000 know coral species that are under human care.
SeaWorld is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year, as their original park in San Diego, California opened in March of 1964. The Orlando park followed in 1973, as well as two other parks in Aurora, Ohio and San Antonio, Texas that opened in 1970 and 1988, respectively. Since 1964, SeaWorld can boast that they have rescued 40,000 animals. The Chamber team was thoroughly impressed with the daily work done right in our backyard at SeaWorld Orlando to help generate this impressive level of impact and to keep the populations of Florida’s most unique species thriving. Here’s to 60 more years and counting!
This week (April 28 - May 4, 2024) is National Small Business Week in Florida! Small Business Week in Florida recognizes the vital contributions of entrepreneurs and small business owners in our state. In 2024 alone, 163,992 new businesses have formed in Florida, more than any other state in the nation. Of Florida’s 529,072 private sector businesses, 99.7 percent employ less than 500 employees, which represents 56.9 percent of the state’s total private sector employment.
Our friends at The Florida Chamber have sent over some current and past funds available for Florida’s small businesses, which include:
Our mission statement is to be “champions for business and the Osceola community.” One way we accomplish that is through advocacy, ensuring that the business community's collective voice is not just heard but acted upon at the local, state, and federal levels.
At the heart of our mission lies our commitment to elevating your voice and ensuring it reaches the corridors of power through strategic events and initiatives. We host the Osceola Legislative Luncheon where we bring our Trustee members together with our state representatives for a luncheon following their update on their legislative priorities and follow up on those conversations at the popular Tallahassee Drive-Up during Florida’s Legislative Session. Our proactive engagement in policy-making, underscored by our readiness to support or challenge community issues through formal communication, reflects our unwavering stance in sculpting a conducive business and community environment.
Proudly “Accredited with Five Stars by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Osceola Chamber’s Boards of Directors and Trustees are comprised of community figures who embody dedication and insight. The Chamber is fortified by entities like our own Government Advisory Committee, Growth Management Task Force, and the Osceola Political Action Committee (OPAC), all working in concert to champion our advocacy efforts effectively. These committees have the trust and confidence of our local governments, building relationships when issues in the community arise that require public and private partnerships.
Joining The Osceola Chamber means aligning with a powerful ally dedicated to your business's growth and prosperity. We provide tools, opportunities, and a collaborative platform for business leaders to excel and contribute meaningfully to our community's well-being. Together, we stand for the prosperity of Osceola County, fostering an environment where businesses thrive and community life flourishes.
