Photo by Tom Miller of two manatees looking very content

Early Thursday evening, July 14, Mayri and I stepped out onto the beach. We looked towards the west and, off in the distance, we could see a group of people looking at activity in the water. We immediately knew it must be a mating herd of manatees. It’s an amazing sight to see even if you’ve seen it before. In the video, over a dozen males are seeking the affection of a large cow close to the shore. Sadly, she and other males have wounds likely from boat propellers.

View a video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/aa5UVKa5RyM
Near the end of the video it looks like the manatee cow is shaking off her suitors.

More info about mating herds: http://www.savethemanatee.org/repro2.htm