Snooty, a manatee that lived in captivity at the South Florida Museum, died early Sunday in a "heartbreaking accident." He had just turned 69 years old.
The oldest manatee of its kind had called the Parker Aquarium in Bradenton, Florida, home since the 1940s, but the museum said his death had nothing to do with his age or health.
According to The Washington Post, Snooty and tankmates Randall, Baca, and Gale somehow made it into an underwater hallway that leads to the plumbing hardware at the aquarium. The area is typically sealed off, but all four manatees were able to get in.
Randall, Baca, and Gale — each weighing between 500 and 600 pounds — were able to get from out of the area and up to the surface to breathe, but not Snooty, who weighed twice the size of his fellow manatees.
“It appears that Snooty was able to get into the area, but he was not able to extract himself from that situation," Jeff Rodgers, provost and chief operating officer of the South Florida Museum, said during a press conference Sunday.
The museum took to Facebook to offer remarks on Snooty's death.
“We know that our community and Snooty fans around the world share our grief,” the museum wrote, noting that the incident is under investigation.
Snooty held a Guinness World Record as the oldest manatee living in captivity, according to The Washington Post.
Facebook users offered their condolences to the manatee.
“To his memory and every child who grew up going on field trips to the museum,” one Facebook user wrote. “He was always a pinnacle of the visit there right after our PB & J sandwiches. He was not only a mascot, he was the first real face-to-face experience with such a majestic animal for so many people.”
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