Today I fed a Manatee and wept....

[MarthasGinYard]

I visited a sanctuary for these amazing creatures.

Incredibly moving

And when you feed them they actually hold tightly onto your leg for support.

It was an amazing experience

I cried

Anyone else get totally emotional experiencing stuff like this.?

There was that mumsnetters who screamed at the Sistine chapel...

Although yours is a lovely thing and her was... different!

The gulls pooing over my laundry on the line evoke a great deal of emotion in me.

I walked alpacas in Italy and sobbed and sobbed as I did it.

I just couldn’t believe how happy it made me.

Me and the alpacas even had the same hair.

@TheInvestigator Even just hearing that he mentioned sets me off 🤣

Well, I’ve never wept at a manatee, but I did stick my head out the window at 3 am and roar at the owls in the wood behind our house to keep it down with all the loud toowhit and toowhoo-ing.

Not quite the same but I work in a dementia care home and anytime one of our residents holds my hand or gives me a hug when they're worried or scared or happy, makes me well up.

I don’t know what a manatee is...

I fed the giraffes at the zoo in the Summer and I cried too. It still makes me feel emotional when I think about it. We took DS2 and his girlfriend and it was the most magical experience. It will stay with me forever.

It's a sea cow

They are such amazing creatures. I would love to do that.

@MarthasGinYard Where did you do this?

I'm very jealous. I love manatees, they are so beautiful and gentle. I went on a trip looking for them in the wild in Florida but didn't see any

We have a place in Florida and you can be guaranteed to see dolphins (and the odd manatee) from the beach there. I always feel emosh.

I completely understand. I sobbed on a boat trip to sightsee dolphins in the Caribbean. Watching their joy as they jumped around the boat, in their natural habitat was such a privilege. Was a totally unexpected reaction from me.

Bless you! They are big gentle souls. I have a lot of feeling for marine life and bitterly rue the fact that we humans are endangering them. We have much to answer for.

I’m with you OP

With all the shite in the world going on, a hug from a manatee gives us hope that it is in nature to be kind and loving and the fact a creatures default setting is to hug you is truly a wondrous thing indeed x

That’s beautiful.

Sadly my experience with a dolphin was not the same.

As a child my parents took me and two friends to a zoo for my birthday.

I got chosen out of the crowd along with a few other children to feed the dolphins.

As I waited in the queue I saw the other children reach in the bucket and pull out small fish and chuck into the dolphins mouth.

I really did not want to touch the little fish but looking at my parents I didn’t want to let them down by refusing and I didn’t want to look stupid in front of my friends or the crowd as the other children were happy participants.

When it was my turn I steeled myself and grabbed a fish and the Keeper led me near to the dolphin who excitedly bobbed out of the water.

At this point the cute dolphin now appeared as a wide mouthed beast it’s jaws gaping wide and as I leaned in to throw the fish I made the mistake of inhaling and it’s revolting breath was disgusting!

I was a very fussy child and the stench was so overpowering and I’ve never felt the same way about dolphins since.

I would cry at hugging a Manatee. I was stupidly happy the other day when my cat tolerated the puppy on the sofa with him for the first time. I had a basking moment, where everything was perfect.

I am so jealous. I love manatees. And dugongs.

'With all the shite in the world going on, a hug from a manatee gives us hope that it is in nature to be kind and loving and the fact a creatures default setting is to hug you is truly a wondrous thing indeed x'

Now I'm off again

I felt truly honoured and very humble to be his leaning post.

I don't feel quite so daft now

Calzone what a wonderful picture

You and Twinpacca

Bumble

I'd be constantly welling up too.

Aw we saw so many dolphins and manatees in the wild in florida. Baby manatees are so cute. It's whales that I love seeing most