Summer is heating up for Florida manatees.
The Pinella County Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook that they get calls “all the time” about passersby seeing manatees by the shore clumped together.
People will call after seeing this startling sight assuming that the manatees are in distress — but they’re actually just mating.
“If you see this, no you didn’t,” the Sheriff’s Office captioned a reel on Facebook, which shows a clump of manatees near the shore with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” playing over it.
“We can assure you they are more than fine,” the caption continued. “Manatees actually mate in herds like these and often they are near the shore. They mate all throughout the year but generally mating herds like these are seen in the summer months.”
Breeding season for manatees typically occurs from March to September, especially in the hot summer months. Mating aggregations occur in shallow coastal waters and consist of about 10-15 manatees, according to the Manatee Swim Center.
“So if you see this, there’s no need to call, they are a-okay! And remember touching or disturbing manatees is not only illegal but can also be very dangerous,” the public service announcement concluded.
Manatees are protected under Florida state law by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, mandating that “it is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee.”
The manatee is also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which makes it illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill any marine mammal.
On top of the unlawfulness, touching a manatee could be dangerous for both the animal and the person touching it.
While manatees are generally gentle animals, during mating season they move in “aggressive twists and turns,” which could end in you getting knocked over and injured, according to Swimming With the Manatees. As for the manatees, touching them could get in the way of the mating process and ultimately decrease the number of healthy calves produced.
Those who wish to report a manatee that looks in “distress” are urged to call the Mote Marine Laboratory’s hotline at 888-345-2335 rather than calling 911.
Manatee mating season in Florida has caused quite a stir.
Officials revealed last week that a 38-year-old manatee named Hugh died in April after having too much “high-intensity” sex with his brother, Buffet.
Employees at the Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium said that Hugh and Buffett had been engaging in consensual and “natural” mating behavior for two months leading up to Hugh’s death. They were the only two manatees in the aquarium, and handlers allowed them to continue to engage in “high-intensity interactions and occasional penetration.”