Two paddleboarders making their way along Florida's Weeki Wachee River got a lucky surprise recently when a herd of manatees cruised casually beneath them seemingly out of the blue.

Tyler & Lauren get a special treat when this group of manatee swim so gracefully by them in the crystal clear water of the Weeki Wachee River. Thank-you for making SUP Weeki your paddleboard destination!

Posted by SUP WEEKI on Saturday, September 12, 2015

 

A short clip of the awesome encounter was posted by Florida eco-tour company Sup Weeki last week – and it's been racking up millions of views from envious Facebook users ever since. "We don't see manatee every time people go out here – and I always tell people they're lucky to see one. These folks got to see ten all at once!," the Sup Weeki team says in an update. 

"In all my years of swimming, boating, and living entire summers on the Weeki Wachee River, there was never one manatee," says one commenter.

These docile creatures can be found swimming alone or in small groups like we see here. It’s more common to spot herds of manatees from November to March, as water temperatures below 21°C (70°F) cause them to flock into these warm-water rivers and springs.

Manatees are protected under US law, making it illegal to harass or disturb them in any way, so the paddleboarders did the right thing by simply standing by and observing these amazing creatures lumber past.