Manatee's Mother's Day Weekend Surprise

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL -- You might say it was a surprise from Mother Nature, just in time for the Mother's Day Weekend.

A manatee cow and her newborn are resting and gathering strength in a Jacksonville Beach lagoon.

The two were spotted Friday morning in a cove of the Jacksonville Beach Marina on the northeast side of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Steve Cane thought the mother manatee might have been injured.

"She wasn't moving very much and seemed to be ignoring the calf that was up by her head," said Cane, who called Fish & Wildlife to report the mammals.

"But a wildlife guy came and told me it was natural for the mother manatee to come into shallow water to regain her strength after giving birth."

Fish & Wildlife biologist Ryan Berger arrived shortly after noon to take notes on the pair.

"They do this when they're traveling up from the warmer southern Florida waters," said Berger.

"They find a place where there's warmer water without much of a current and she'll just rest for a few days."

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