A wayward manatee was rescued from the frigid waters off Cape Cod Saturday morning and is currently headed to Orlando where he will be released into the wild if he’s going to make it.

The juvenile male wandered into Sesuit Harbor near Dennis, Massachusetts this week. He was named Dennis and became quite a celebrity. Wildlife officials decided to pull him out Saturday, fearing for his health in the chilly water. Manatees rarely stray beyond Florida and Georgia, and will stop feeding if they get too cold. Manatees live in warm, tropical water.

It took three hours to capture Dennis from Sesuit Harbor. Dozens of marine mammal and wildlife experts helped placing the 1,000-pound manatee into an 18-foor moving van.

Dennis will have the journey of his life in a rental truck which will host him for 20 hours in his way to Sea World in Florida. During the trip, workers will spray Dennis with water to keep him moist and hydrated. He could have made the trip back himself but more likely the cold water would have killed him first. Manatees are on the federal endangered species list.

If he’s going to make it, he will be the first manatee that has been found this far north and rescued, said A.J. Cady, a director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Generally, manatees can survive on land better than whales because they have a more developed bone structure and can support their weight on land, Cady added.