When Bridgette Anastasia was out paddleboarding, the last thing she expected to happen was that she would cross something off her bucket list and that she’d end up in tears because of it.
She was paddleboarding in Florida and suddenly exclaimed: “What the f*** is that?” as she paddled closer and closer to whatever she’d seen, clearly unfazed at first.
Again, she asked “what is that?” unsure until she got closer to it. But suddenly she gasped: “You guys, it’s a manatee”.
For those not in the know, manatees are large, gentle, aquatic mammals that live in warm coastal waters, rivers, and springs. They are sometimes called “sea cows” because they graze on underwater plants, much like cows graze on grass. They are generally considered as friendly and gentle, often approaching humans and boats without fear. Their lack of aggression and unique physical characteristics, like teeth designed for grinding plants rather than biting, means they have a reputation for being one of water’s gentle giants.
They are slow-moving, spend most of their time eating, resting, and travelling, and must surface regularly to breathe air. Manatees are considered vulnerable or endangered, mainly due to habitat loss, boat collisions, and pollution.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, however, “if manatees become accustomed to being around people, they can alter their behaviour in the wild, perhaps causing them to lose their natural fear of boats and humans, which may make them more susceptible to harm,” so this means you cannot touch them.
Bridgette was left gobsmacked with her mouth wide open when she saw a manatee for herself. She started to film in the water, where the manatee could be seen next to her paddleboard.
Then she began sobbing, as she couldn’t believe she’d seen one of the gentle giants in the wild for herself.
She captioned her video: “very valid crash out in my opinion. So glad I got to check this off my bucket list!!!”
As the manatee swam by the side of her paddleboard with their head out of the water, she said that she was “shaking” and she couldn’t stop saying “oh my God”.
She filmed the manatee repeatedly coming up to her paddleboard as she said: “Hey, baby. Oh my God, you’re so sweet.”
In the comments, many people backed her reaction to the adorable and huge creatures.
One woman wrote: “Extremely appropriate reaction, I would say you were calm.”
Another penned: “If you don’t feel this way over manatees, I wouldn’t trust you. So this is a green flag.”
“This is how you know you’re taking full advantage of life and never taking anything in it for granted. I love this reaction – feel all the feels, girl! Life is a beautiful, crazy ride,” someone shared with her.
An Instagram user shared: “What an amazing experience! I know you’re legally not allowed, but I would have the HARDEST time not touching it.”