Video: Manatee gives diver hug while swimming in Central Florida spring

Manatee gives Florida diver hug

One playful manatee grabbed a diver's leg and gave him a hug while he was exploring a Central Florida spring. Casey Barrick says the moment was unexpected since "sea cows" usually keep their distance.

OCALA, Fla. - A manatee gave a Florida diver a hug and the unexpected moment was caught on camera.

The backstory:

Casey Barrick is a certified freediver and Divemaster in SCUBA who's on a mission to explore and document 500 Florida springs.

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According to Barrick, near the beginning of his journey he was at a spring in Central Florida in the Ocala National Forest filming around 40 sleeping manatees.

What they're saying:

"This manatee was actually really playful and didn’t feel like sleeping and was just swimming around the entire morning. As I was filming the other manatees in the distance, he or she came up to me from behind and wrapped its fins around my leg and wouldn’t let go," shared Barrick.

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He said the "sea cow" continued to hug him for around two to three minutes before he could get his leg free.

Dig deeper:

Manatees usually keep their distance and do not swim up to people, according to Barrick.

It is illegal to touch, feed, hunt, kill or harass manatees in Florida.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), manatees are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. They are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.

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