Some freaky manatee sex shit stopped traffic on Tampa’s Courtney Campbell Causeway earlier this week, FYI.
That’s according to WFTS Tampa Bay (via Fark), which explains that it was specifically a phenomenon called a “manatee mating ball.” Which is basically a large pile of male manatees chasing a single female manatee “in estrus,” meaning she’s ready to mate.
“The easiest way to identify a mating herd is when there are groups, a large number of manatees that look to be frolicking with each other in shallow waters, generally climbing on top of each other,” explained Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Kane Rigney in a video (via the Palm Beach Post). He added:
“There will be up to 20 to 25 manatees in some circumstances with a single focal female, and there will be a lot of splashing, a lot of physical interaction with the manatees, kind of like a big bait-ball of fish, but you’ll see the manatees up on shore, rolling on top of each other and climbing.”
If you don’t have convenient access to any spots popular with horny manatee singles, please enjoy this video instead.
