Sun, surf — and sea cows? On Monday afternoon, April 14, Ponte Vedra Beach residents and visitors witnessed a rare and wild spectacle — four adult manatees rolling and splashing through the shallows, feet from the shoreline.
A crowd quickly formed, mouths and cameras opened in awe.
At first glance, some were concerned the gentle giants were beaching themselves in distress, but what they witnessed was something very different: a manatee mating herd.
A manatee mating herd occurs when several male manatees — sometimes as many as a dozen — closely pursue a single “focal” female in an attempt to mate. These encounters can last for several minutes or even hours, with males rolling over one another in a slow-motion scramble for a chance to mate. The activity often moves into shallow water, where the female can more easily surface for air and rest.
While it can appear chaotic or confusing to onlookers, the female is not in danger during these events — though she’s certainly the center of attention.
Onlookers remarked they had never seen manatees in the ocean before. While sea cows favor calmer brackish and freshwater habitats, it is not uncommon to see them along Florida’s beaches, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The herd spotted on Monday likely included three males and one female, according to Nadia Gordon, marine mammal assistant research scientist with the FWC.
“This behavior is completely natural, and very common this time of year as water temperatures rise in spring and summer,” Gordon said.
Gordon noted that FWC often receives calls from concerned beachgoers during these events. She says these calls are valuable — not only for public education but also for tracking sightings and contributing to manatee research and conservation efforts.
“The best thing they can do is leave the manatees alone and call us,” she said.
While the curiosity is understandable, people trying to get a closer look at this federally threatened species can interrupt how they behave.
“Anything that changes a manatee’s natural behavior is considered harassment and is illegal,” Gordon said.
Eventually, the herd finished their beach activities, thrashing through the gentle surf before making their way safely back to deeper waters.
In deeper water, manatees become much harder to spot, making them especially vulnerable to boat strikes, which account for roughly 25% to 30% of manatee deaths statewide.
FWC urges boaters to slow down in manatee zones, stay alert and wear polarized sunglasses to reduce surface glare and spot manatees more easily near the surface.
If you see a manatee in distress or to report a sighting, call the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or send a text to 847411 (Tip411) with the keyword "FWC" followed by the location and details.
Bailey Daigle is an environmental communicator for The Florida Museum of Natural History with the Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI) Department.
