The moment was made extra special since the reproductive rate for manatees is fairly low. On average, a mother only gives birth to one calf every two to five years.
“It was like this remarkable experience of sort of seeing this brand-new little calf being born and then suddenly coming up to the surface. And, you know, the mother nurturing, it is just so incredible,” Swanepoel said.
Experts say the mother and her baby will probably move out of the canal at some point and look for food.
You can see the video above.
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Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Orphaned manatees to return to Florida SwimShady, Alby, and Manhattan have eaten a combined 166,158 pounds of food over the 18 months they've spent in Cincinnati. (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)
Video: Large manatee mating herd spotted at Blue Spring State Park Visitors and researchers at Blue Spring State Park got an up-close look at a large manatee mating herd this weekend.
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Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.
