Clip: Hefty Sea Creature Hugs Stand-Up Surfer's Board in Florida
Surfers mingle with a wide array of sea animals.
We've seen a lot of surfer and sea creature encounters. From sharing waves with dolphins, to humpback whale body slams, to manta ray encounters, and even sea otters snatching surfboards.
Today, we have a new one to add to the list in the clip below.
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Related: Clip: Surfer Paddles Around with a Pod of Curious Killer Whales
The clip shows a manatee in the water hugging a stand-up paddleboard with its right fin.
A voice behind the camera says:
"Hello beautiful, how are you doing? How are you doing Oh, you're doing good? Very good. It's nice to see you too."
Cuteness overload.
Here's some fun manatee facts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
The bones in a manatee's flipper are similar to a human hand.
The nostrils, located on the upper surface of the bulbous blunt snout, close tightly when underwater.
A manatee’s small eyes have nictitating membranes that can be drawn over them for protection underwater but still allow the animal some sight.
The ear openings, located just behind the eyes, are small and lack external lobes
Manatees can hear very well despite the absence of external ear lobes.
A manatee can move each side of its lip pads independently. This flexibility allows the manatee to "grab" aquatic plants and draw them into its mouth. The manatee uses its muscular prehensile upper lips much like an elephant (a distant relative of the manatee) uses the tip of its trunk to pick up items.
Manatees have no "biting" teeth, only "grinding" teeth. A manatee's teeth (all molars) are constantly being replaced. New teeth come in at the back of the jaw and move forward horizontally about a centimeter a month.
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