At the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, it was all hands-on deck for days as staff at both its main aquarium and its sea turtle rehabilitation center in Apollo Beach worked to get animals to safer locations.
CEO of the aquarium, Roger Germann, said for some animals, like the African penguins, they’ll ride it out on the second level of the building, but for the sea turtles, they’ll needed to be evacuated to other aquariums outside of Hurricane Milton’s path.
“Especially coming off of Helene, there’s anxiety, but … we know how to deal with it a little more,” said Germann.
Unlike Helene, Germann said they had much more notice for Milton, which he feels puts them in a better place.
He said they plan for storm evacuations and many animals that are being moved to higher ground are used to their “suites” on the second floor, so that helps ease their anxiety.
“Penguins know how to waddle up the ramp, and kind of hang out in their temporary home,” Germann said.
Several lizards and birds, which he said normally live on the aquarium’s first level, are also taking the trip upstairs.
The aquarium is also home to thousands of specimens of endangered coral, which they are growing as part of a project to rebuild Florida’s dying coral reef. If rebuilt, Germann said, a reef could help weaken these storms.
“The fact that that coral reef is continuing to die is not going to slow these storms down by any means. … (On) the conservation side, we’re just like, ‘come on, we’re trying to do even more to maybe mitigate this a little more,’” he said.
The “ride out” team is prepared to stay with the animals if they can, but if the storm remains above a Category 3, Germann said that would be too risky.
“More than likely, I think you lean toward getting them home safely and then just kind of doing the recovery efforts on the back end,” he said.
If the animals must be left alone, Germann said automatic generators are gassed up, tested and ready to turn on if the power goes out. Those would keep filters running in tanks. The staff will watch the animals via cameras, remotely, as long as those cameras have power.
While he said the animals do like people, they are used to being alone at times overnight, so the hope is the time handlers will be away will be no longer than a couple hours.
“(For) the terrestrial animals, it’s probably like many of us. You just may miss a meal,” Germann said.
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