What is your favorite animal? If it’s not already manatees, it will be soon! In case you weren’t aware, manatees are some of the most adorable creatures around. Not only are they known for being gentle, curious creatures, but they also adore humans! In fact, there are tons of videos online that show manatees interacting with us. For example, this curious manatee stole a swimmer’s GoPro.
Videos by InspireMore
Then there’s the cuddly manatee in the video below. According to Kendra Ray, she captured this moment when she and her friends went kayaking in Florida. While following a trail, they encountered a group of manatees. They did their best to stay still and not disturb them, but one of them got a bit too curious… see what happened next in the wholesome video below!
@kendrakay_22 🥹🥹🥹 #manatee #manatees #florida ♬ original sound – rein ✨️
Before Kendra knew it, one of the manatees decided that she needed a hug. Or perhaps it was the manatee who was in need of a snuggle. Either way, it’s safe to say that Kendra was elated to have been chosen by this sweet creature. That’s because, unlike many other animals who are too dangerous for us to hug, manatees pose no threat to humans.
This Cuddly Manatee is Melting the Hearts of Millions
Sadly, that’s also the reason why we can’t hug them back. In fact, there are laws all about limiting our interaction with manatees. You can learn more here but, essentially, we can’t allow manatees to get too comfortable getting close to humans. If we did, the risk of manatees getting harmed or killed would increase. For example, manatees would get dangerously close to boats more often.
@kendrakay_22 Replying to @Melissa Harvey Brenn We didn’t realize she had her baby with her. We never touch them because they will want to keep coming up to people/boats and can get seriously hurt. I honestly feel like they can just sense our love even from a distance 🫶🏼 Watch until the end to see her baby🥹 #manatee #manatees #florida ♬ Heaven Is A Place On Earth – Dream Tunes
From what we can tell in Kendra’s video (including the full-length one above), she did everything she could have in this moment. So, while she couldn’t hug the manatee back, she did get to experience the best loophole to these much-needed manatee laws.
“I feel if a manatee hugged me, I’d never be sad again,” someone admits in a comment, with Kendra herself admitting, “It cured my depression.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
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