Jaw-Dropping Gator ‘Riding’ Manatee Photo Raises Awareness for Gentle Giants

ORANGE CITY, FL — Spotting manatees at Orange City’s Blue Spring State Park is nothing out of the ordinary. Nor is catching a glimpse of an alligator. What is unusual is capturing an image of what appears to be an alligator riding on the back of one of Florida’s gentle giants.

But that’s just what photographer Dana Menk managed to do. Her once-in-a-lifetime shot was entered into a contest the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently staged via its Facebook page.

Menk’s picture, believe it or not, didn’t win first-place honors. The winner of the bragging-rights-only contest was Drew Dalton. He managed to capture an underwater image of a manatee that did some serious mugging for the camera.

For those still holding their breath that Menk may have snapped her shot moments before something terrible happened to the manatee at the hands, err, teeth of the gator, FWC officials say sea cows aren’t generally on the menu for alligators.

"There has been a rare occurrence where we believe a calf may have been attacked by an alligator, but this is very unusual," FWC spokeswoman Katie Purcell told Patch. "Manatee calves are provided care by their mothers. Manatees are also pretty fast swimmers and their large size and shape also make it difficult for alligators to be a significant threat."

The image also isn't proof that Florida alligators are getting lazier, Purcell said.

"I would guess that these manatees were hanging out near warm-water or heading to warm-water and the alligator was are looking for a sunny spot to hang out along the shoreline and they simply crossed paths," she said. "Alligators and manatees can be found in similar habitats so seeing them in the same vicinity isn’t uncommon. However, the photo in question showing an alligator passing immediately over the top of a manatee probably doesn’t happen on a regular basis."

If Blue Spring State Park sounds ominously familiar, it should. Blue Spring is the park where a fatal alligator attack was confirmed in October 2015. In that case, a 62-year-old man who was swimming in the park’s waters was attacked by a gator and died from his injuries. FWC staff caught and euthanized a 12-1/2-foot alligator that was ultimately confirmed as being responsible for the attack.

See also: Fatal Florida Alligator Attack Confirmed

While manatees are reasonably safe from alligator attacks, state wildlife officials say they do face many real dangers in Florida’s waters. Humans happen to pose one of the biggest threats to the species. About 25 to 30 percent of all manatee deaths recorded in the state are attributed to run-ins with boats, FWC notes on its website.

“In recent years, manatee deaths caused by blunt-force impacts (non-cutting) have outpaced manatee deaths caused by propeller cuts, with a small portion of deaths/injuries attributed to both causes.”

Defenders of Wildlife, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to the survival of the country’s native wildlife, points out other threats to manatees on its website. Aside from collisions with boats, manatees face habitat loss and human harassment. In addition, red tide blooms in the Gulf of Mexico are also a concern for the health and safety of manatees, the group says.

Florida is home to an estimated 6,250 manatees. The creatures typically grow between 9 and 10 feet long and weigh around 1,000 pounds as adults. Native to the Sunshine State, manatees are found in bodies of water throughout Florida.

Protected by state and federal laws, manatees were named Florida’s official state marine mammal in 1975, according to FWC. That organization is responsible for overseeing an annual population survey. The 2016 count, conducted earlier this year, showed record-breaking numbers. The agency said a team of 16 observers from 11 different organizations counted 3,292 manatees on the state’s east coast and 2,958 on the west coast.

Folks who want to help protect Florida’s manatees can contribute to the cause by buying a manatee license plate through the state. Contributions may also be made to the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, which also has such partners as FWC, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, the South Florida Museum, SeaWorld and the Save the Manatee Club.

People who spot sick, injured, dead or tagged manatees in the wild are asked to call FWC's Wildlife Alert Toll-Free Number at 1-888-404-FWCC.

As for the shot that won FWC's contest, here it is:

Photo courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission