ICYMI: Manatee Mating Shouldn't Cause Alarm, Officials Say

Manatees need love, too.

That’s the message the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is trying to get out as manatee mating season heats up right along with the state’s outdoor temperatures.

While the gentle giants can technically mate year-round, it seems they become extra amorous during the spring, summer and early fall months. The rise in interest for the opposite sex can, it seems, create quite a commotion in the water.
“When manatees are observed in mating herds, there is a lot of splashing and slapping of their tails along with constant movement by the animals,” FWC explained in an email to Patch. “This behavior can sometimes be misconstrued by the public as the manatees being in distress.”
This, officials say, can lead to potentially dangerous interventions.
“There have been circumstances where the public has intervened with mating herds, thinking they are doing the right thing,” FWC said. “However, we caution people to stay clear of mating herds for both human and animal safety.”

Manatees can weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds, which means that during mating, people who get in their way could be inadvertently injured by manatees who are simply “moving around or slapping their tails.”
Concerns about people interfering with mating manatee herds run so high this time of year, FWC even took to Facebook to issue a warning.

“If you see a herd of manatees splashing and seeming quarrelsome at the surface of the water, give them space and please do not disturb,” the agency wrote. “This is common mating behavior among male manatees pursuing a female.”
Florida’s manatee population is estimated to be around 6,250. The creatures are protected by both state and federal law.
To find out more about Florida’s native manatee population, visit FWC online.

Photos courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission