A ‘mating ball’ of manatees caused a traffic jam in Tampa Bay this morning

Give 'em some privacy, ya freaks.


It’s that time of year again, when commuters slow traffic to a complete halt in an effort to watch a horny group of male manatees herd a female into shallow water in a desperate attempt to get it in.

This incredibly non-erotic manatee orgy is actually called a "mating ball." They’re pretty rare to see, which is why motorists backed up traffic on the Courtney Campbell Causeway this morning to get a glimpse, according to Fox 13, who was one of two local news stations that actually launched their damn helicopters to get an aerial view of the action.


Expect to spot a few more seacow orgies going forward, as manatee mating season runs from March to November, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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Colin Wolf

Colin Wolf has been working with weekly newspapers since 2007 and has been the Digital Editor for Creative Loafing Tampa since 2019. He is also the Director of Digital Content Strategy for CL's parent company, Chava Communications.
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