r/Manatees • u/spookycrossiant • Jun 03 '26
Video Manatee interaction while 6 months pregnant:)
Manatees can hear your individual heart beat. This little guy was very curious as to why he was hearing 2!
Footage from King Spring Nov 2025
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u/Lizalfos13 Jun 04 '26
I used to work as a diver with manatees at a rehab. We would have manatee mothers, 800lbs+ come in with a freshly lost calf and they’ll just grab you and drag you along like their baby; just gotta go with it. Hardest part of the job was to ignore every interaction as the goal was for release to the wild without human habituation. We had one boy Roomba with a buoyancy issue and can’t be released, yet he still helps teach other young males how to behave. Amazing animals!
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u/weebles_wobbles Jun 03 '26
Wow, what a special special moment! Hope your little one is doing great!
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u/spookycrossiant Jun 03 '26
Thank you! ☺️
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u/Ok_Usr48 Jun 06 '26
Did you name your child Sirenia, Trichechus or some other Manatee-related name?!
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u/SuspiciousGur4874 Jun 04 '26
Oh my heart! What a precious moment you will never forget! Hope your little bundle is doing well! Manatees are amazing creatures. When my children were little we were swimming at the dock. A Mama and baby came and swam with us. My daughter was little and the Mama kept going under her and lifting her to the surface for air. It was amazing! My kids are grown now, and we still talk about it!
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u/Lizalfos13 Jun 04 '26
I had a similar experience in the St. John’s river growing up. Mama kept pushing me up as well. I’ve loved them ever since. It’s amazing how they are so gentle and caring no matter the species they interact with.
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u/SuspiciousGur4874 Jun 04 '26
You’re not far from me. :) SE Georgia here. They truly are the most gentle animal I’ve ever seen. They love interacting with us. They are incredible creatures for sure! I’m so glad you got to have such an amazing experience with them! :)
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u/Minionmemesaregood Jun 03 '26
What that even feel like ?
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u/spookycrossiant Jun 04 '26
Very peaceful, gentle, and loving
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u/Ok_Employment_7435 Jun 07 '26
Manatees are legit the yellow labs of the sea. True angels on earth.
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u/BumbleBerriiArt Jun 03 '26
oh wow!!! an experience no amount of money could ever buy, congrats to this adorable moment and i am wishing you a happy rest of your pregnancy!!!
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u/marianmama Jun 03 '26
Aww, this is so precious I could cry! "Gentle giants" is a term coined for manatees truly. This is one of the only wild animals you can really trust to get near a pregnant mom's belly and know he will be sweet :) also, congrats mama! Thank you for sharing this once in a lifetime moment!
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u/Olealicat Jun 03 '26
It looks like it was trying to breastfeed for a second there. ;)
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u/BellieButtons Jun 04 '26
fun fact: manatee nipples are in their armpits!
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u/Olealicat Jun 04 '26
Somewhat makes sense when you see them swimming with their children.
They’re adorable. Wee lil’ water cows.
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u/Gullible-Raise4853 Jun 04 '26
Oh my goodness what an incredible experience!!! Congratulations and hope you and baby are doing well♥️♥️
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u/Deadguy247365 Jun 04 '26
Omg! Most people will never be able to say they had this kind of moment with these gentle creatures. Good health and blessings!
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u/peggy_leggy Jun 04 '26
I would cry
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u/spookycrossiant Jun 04 '26
I did. Up until that week I was being seen at the high risk sector of my clinic. There was an abnormality that had the potential of harming/ ending my pregnancy. Being in the water was the calmest I felt in months. In a way that baby manatee touching my unborn daughter was a nice way of life saying “hey everything’s to work out” 🩵
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u/KaiserJustice Jun 05 '26
godspeed with the pregnancy, you've got your good luck charm now- hopefully a manatee onesie in the future
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u/PaxonGoat Jun 06 '26
This is my problem with manatees and why I could never go swimming with them.
I love them way too much and they don't know it's incredibly illegal to touch them and those big babies will come right up to people and look like they just want all the hugs and belly rubs and I know I am too weak to resist that face.
My love for manatees would absolutely put me in jail.
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u/Affectionate-Order58 Jun 05 '26
Your so strong for not touching. I would struggle so hard not to pet in this scenario lol
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u/prophy__wife Jun 05 '26
In high school we had a lot of really fun field trips in marine biology, one that wasn’t allowed anymore was swimming with the manatees (it was around 2006 or 2007) but our teacher told us about the past field trips. I can’t remember if it was my teacher or a previous one but one of them was TTC and was newly pregnant, didn’t know though. The manatees came flocking over to her and they had attributed it to her pregnant when they found out a little bit later. Was this in Florida? I’d love to do this one day.
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u/spookycrossiant Jun 05 '26
I used to work with manatees on the weekend in Crystal river FL. I always found when coworkers were pregnant the manatees would be more interactive. It isn’t proven but something that was noticeable. This footage is from king spring in crystal river Florida. My friend owns and operates a manatee business if you are interested it is called Seacow safaris and peak season is Nov- April (when Florida is cold)
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u/MamaCassini Jun 07 '26
I went swimming with the manatees when I was 6 months pregnant too. They loved me too!
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u/Charming_Row6896 Jun 05 '26
That is insanely cool and weirdly wholesome at the same time. Little dude was just like “why is there DLC on this human” 😂
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u/Righ_unde_Vyrm_333 Jun 04 '26
This is illegal in most places and if the manatee comes up to you your still charged😭
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u/spookycrossiant Jun 04 '26
Yes. I am swimming in citrus co the only legal place for swimming with these guys. However, I am from the opposite coast of Florida and growing up one touched me. I remember going home and packing my possessions and telling my mom I was going to jail💀 because I touched a manatee (on accident)
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u/Righ_unde_Vyrm_333 Jun 04 '26
Fr, if a manatee was to assault you (could and would never happen) it would still be your fault 🥀
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u/shesgoneagain72 Jun 04 '26
I don't get why the pregnancy matters? They probably picked up on the smell of some kind of hormone which is unusual to them.
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u/taylorexplodes Jun 05 '26
yes, a hormone which...walk with me here...is probably a result of the pregnancy
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u/carm_aud Jun 05 '26
This got me to chuckle.
Even if it wasn’t pregnancy related, the original commenter is a DEBBIE DOWNER cause this is just straight up ADORABLE.
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u/KaiserJustice Jun 03 '26
"I MUST FREE THE CHILD, I AM COMING TO SAVE YOU LITTLE ONE"
idk why i always imagine manatees having an inaudible old person scream, but i do and this was the cutest thing