Disney prepares to permanently relocate its 3 dolphins from Epcot

You might not know it, but Walt Disney World has been home to Atlantic bottlenose dolphins for almost 40 years.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

But that will soon be a thing of the past as Disney plans to permanently relocate its three dolphins from Epcot to a marine-life park in the Florida Panhandle next month.

Epcot has had dolphins on display since The Living Seas -- now The Seas with Nemo & Friends -- debuted in 1986, three years after the theme park opened.

Disney announced in an employee memo Tuesday that it plans to relocate its dolphins to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in late October.

Read: Disney reduces education benefits program for employees

The park, which opened in 1955, is on Santa Rosa Island near Fort Walton Beach and is accredited by both the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums as well as the International Marine Animals Trainer’s Association.

“The facility is led by a marine mammal expert who cared for the dolphins for years at The Seas,” Disney’s internal memo said. “This decision came after a comprehensive evaluation as to what is best for these dolphins as infrastructure work progresses at The Seas. Through the extraordinary care from our team, these three male dolphins have thrived and led long lives, and we will continue to be a resource while they receive the best possible care after they are moved.”

Epcot relocated one of its manatees, Lou, to another manatee rehabilitation center in the state Tuesday.

Read: Disney announces ‘Villains’ Land, ‘Monsters Inc.’ Land, ‘Encanto’ and more

Epcot expects to soon receive another manatee to serve as a companion for Lil Joe, the other manatee who lives at The Seas attraction.

“While we will greatly miss Lou, we do look forward to aiding this other manatee in the next stage of rehabilitation as we continue to do our part in addressing the manatee crisis in Florida, which has seen declining manatee populations in the past few years,” the memo said.

The move is part of a broader set of manatee moves around the state recommended by Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, which directs and manages the rehabilitation and conservation of manatees statewide.

Read: FWC: 2 manatees safe after becoming stuck on New Smyrna Beach

The memo said that previously booked reservations for Epcot’s Dolphins in Depth and DiveQuest experiences will be honored through Oct. 19.

DiveQuest will return to the park in 2025, after the marine mammals have been moved and planned infrastructure changes have been completed, the memo said.

See a map of Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park below:

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.