ZooTampa Begins Work on Straz Family Manatee Rescue Center and Florida Waters Exhibit

ZooTampa at Lowry Park has launched its most ambitious growth project yet. The Straz Family Manatee Rescue Center and Florida Waters attraction will transform how visitors experience marine life. Money came from the Straz Family Foundation and a five-year drive that pulled in $35 million.

The Straz Manatee Rescue Center will showcase an upgraded underground space. Guests can watch manatees swim beneath the water's surface. Crews are pushing hard to finish by spring 2026.

Florida Waters will hold otters, moon jellyfish, reef fish from the Florida Keys, and game fish like snook near the manatee center. A Reptile and Amphibian Discovery section will concentrate on protecting native species found across the state.

Seventeen injured manatees live at the zoo right now. Curators report the building work hasn't bothered them. Last year, the number climbed as high as 28.

Since 1991, ZooTampa has helped more than 600 manatees heal. Most swam back into their home waters once treatment wrapped up.

This growth marks a serious investment in marine animal rescue and teaching programs around Tampa Bay. The new spaces will allow people to watch rehabilitation work while discovering facts about Florida's water-based ecosystems.

Both attractions will open next spring. The zoo continues its mission to protect and nurse injured marine mammals back to health. The underground viewing area offers guests a rare chance to observe manatee behavior during recovery.