EPCOT's Seas with Nemo & Friends celebrates its 40th anniversary in behind-the-scenes look

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Seas with Nemo & Friends inside EPCOT, formerly known as The Living Seas pavilion, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. 

Not only does the pavilion have a fun ride, but it is also an accredited aquarium that’s home to 90 species of marine animals.

The tank inside The Seas is bigger than the EPCOT ball in diameter, as it's a 5.7-million-gallon tank. Veterinarians also perform wellness exams in the tank to make sure the animals are healthy, but it’s no easy task. 

The animals are trained to willingly participate before they are put under anesthesia, and an entire team performs a wellness check. FOX 35 had the opportunity to watch a Bowmouth Guitarfish's exam, which is a critically endangered species.

"Part of that is to make sure he's healthy, but he's a critically-endangered species, so we're trying to learn a lot from an anatomy, a physiology, a health perspective, nutrition perspective, so that we could help him and then also other Bowmouth around the world," explained Dr. Geoff Pye, the Animal Operations Director at Walt Disney World.

Conservation efforts

The Disney Animal Care team has helped rehabilitate 350 sea turtles over the years. 

Many of the cold-stunned sea turtles are rescued and brought to the turtle rehab center while suffering from pneumonia. 

Veterinarians step in to get them healthy again so they can be released back into the ocean.

You’ll also find two manatees at The Seas right now: Cider and Tanny. Both were rescued, and the team is working to get their weight back up to a minimum of 600 pounds and in good health before they are released back into the wild. 

Disney is part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, which is a cooperative effort focused on rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing manatees back into the wild. To date, Disney has successfully rehabilitated and released 30 manatees.

Knowledgeable cast members

When you step into The Seas, you can explore the aquarium on your own or speak with some of the knowledgeable cast members. 

There’s even a diving demonstration two times a day. The team at Walt Disney World hopes that families walk away feeling inspired.

"We have incredible cast members here that have experienced saving manatees, saving sea turtles, protecting corals, sharks, and rays," said Claire Martin with the Disney Conservation Fund. "Talk to any of them, they'll share their passion, they'll share what they do here. But they'll also share what they do in the wild, and they'll give you a lot of ideas of how you can take action too."