A Florida man has captured astonishing video that shows an intelligent manatee drinking from a garden hose like a straw. The hose was hanging over the edge of a dock in Miami Beach when the 'sea cow' approached and 'grabbed' onto it with its flippers. It then shoves the end of the hose into its mouth to get its refreshing fill of fresh water, which it requires to survive. Even though manatees are found in salt water, they do not consume it. The large 'sea cow' swims over to the long blue hose in order to get its much-needed fresh water intake . Filmed from the end of the dock, the manatee can be seen in the water below holding onto a long blue hose with its flippers. It takes a drink from it as the video maker, Lawrence Schiffman, tells the people with him: ‘I like how he uses his arm to put it into his mouth.’ The video shows the marine mammal dropping the hose and swimming after it. Debating whether the manatee is a he or she, and deciding to go with the latter, Mr Schiffman continues to give a play-by-play of the animal’s actions. The video concludes with the obviously thirsty marine mammal still clutching onto the hose, guzzling water running from an unidentified source. The manatee can be seen using its flipper to grab the hose before it puts it into its mouth like a straw . Manatees are very large, fully aquatic and mostly herbivorous marine mammals. Studies suggest that they must have some access to fresh water for proper regulation of the salt within their bodies. This means that on average they must return to fresh water every one to two weeks to get their fill. Manatees ingest water through actively drinking as well as eating aquatic plants, and are able to move freely between marine environments.
The 'sea cow' uses its flippers to hold onto the long hose at Miami Beach . Footage shows manatee taking the hose into its mouth and guzzling water . Manatees return to fresh water once every one to two weeks . Even though they are found in salt water they do not consume it .