A mother’s love is an incredibly powerful thing, and it’s one thing almost all animals on earth have in common. Go out into nature and you’ll see mothers showering their babies with love, just like humans do.
That’s what one group of kayakers saw recently, witnessing a truly precious moment between a mother manatee and her child.
Get up and Go Kayaking is a tour group that offers clear kayak tours in Silver Springs, Florida, giving people a unique close-up view of the local marine life.
Kayakers on one recent tour got to witness a very special moment between a female manatee and her baby. In a video, captured by tour guide Josh and shared on the company’s Instagram, shows the mother and baby in a sweet embrace, lovingly giving each other hugs and kisses.
The video warmed hearts across the internet, and went viral with over 600,000 likes in the past week.
“She said, that’s my baby,” one comment reads.
“It is impossible not to love this omg,” another wrote.
“Tell me animals don’t have feelings!”
The tour company saw the mama again a few days later, still holding her baby close. While it’s heartwarming to see, they wrote that it is important to keep your distance and give young manatees the space they need.
“If you see this duo along the Silver River make sure to keep a safe distance as it’s very important that new baby manatees have the ability to get air when they need and the mama has room to feed her and graze as she’s working hard to keep her baby healthy,” Get Up and Go wrote.
The Silver River is home to some manatees year-round, but this time of year is ideal for spotting them: “Manatee Season,” when manatees make the state park their winter home, lasts from November to March.
Manatees are such beautiful, graceful animals that it’s always a special experience to see one, but it’s even more amazing when you get to see a sweet moment like this.
Please share this adorable story if you love animals!
