It’s official – Snooty is the The Oldest Manatee in Captivity according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

They know that because he was born in captivity on July 21, 1948, at the old Miami Aquarium and Tackle Company before moving to Bradenton in 1949.

He turns 67 this year and his birthday will be celebrated during Snooty’s 67th Birthday Bash and Wildlife Festival on July 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to see Snooty in the Spanish Courtyard’s underwater viewing area for free during the party.

It is widely believed that Snooty is the oldest Florida manatee in the world. Manatee ages can only be determined after a necropsy by examining their ear bones. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the oldest wild Florida manatee was 59 years old, with the next oldest having reached 48 years of age.

Snooty, the official mascot of Manatee County, shares his tank with Myakklemore, a juvenile male manatee who was discovered orphaned and suffering from cold stress in the Myakka River in January 2014 and two new boys, Icecube and Sarasolo, which both suffered from cold stress and have been undergoing rehabilitation at Lowry Park Zoo.

Donations to the aquarium can be made to Carrie’s Match for the Manatees online at SouthFloridaMuseum.org or by contacting Dannie Sherrill at 941-746-4131, ext. 11.

CINDY LANE | SUN

Snooty’s Summer Salad Challenge drew five local restaurants on Monday, including the Chiles Restaurant Group (Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub, the Beach House, and Sandbar restaurant) to make salads using Snooty’s favorite vegetables and fruits.