WATCH THE TENDER MOMENT A WILD MANATEE MOM HUGS AND KISSES HER BABY

Thanks to their warm temperatures, the rivers of Florida welcome a large population of manatees between November and March. This has allowed the team at Get Up And Go Kayaking to often see them during their expeditions around Silver Springs State Park. While they have seen many interesting creatures, few things compare to a tender scene they recently witnessed. Their guide Josh spotted a manatee mom and baby hugging and kissing, and caught the loving moment in video.

The clip was taken from one of the tour company’s transparent kayaks, which offers visitors a better view of the aquatic animals below. Shot underwater, the sweet footage shows the baby manatee planting a smooch on its mom’s cheek. The mother then embraces her calf, cheerfully returning the kiss. Days later, the pair continued to melt the hearts of their visitors. Mom and baby were seen swimming together, with the mother dutifully holding onto her little one with her flipper for a few moments. According to Save the Manatees, while adult manatees typically swim in single file, a calf always travels parallel to its mother, directly behind her flipper. “It is possible that the animals can communicate most effectively in this position, or the formation is advantageous if the calf experiences less draft from the water,” they explain. The bond between manatee mom and calf runs deep. Since males assume no responsibility for raising the calf, the mothers nurse their offspring for one to two years, depending on her for that time. They are also very curious creatures, and this particular baby has even been seen rubbing its nose against a kayak. Although these clips have sparked interest among animal lovers, the tour guides have called for caution around the mom and her baby. “If you see this duo along the Silver River,” they write, “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.” To stay up to date with the cute manatee mom and her baby, make sure to follow Clear Kayak Tour Silver Springs on Instagram.

Days later, the pair was seen swimming together, melting the hearts of their visitors.

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