May 16 (UPI) -- A Florida woman's unusual friendship with a manatee that repeatedly approached her paddleboard has gone viral after she posted videos of the encounters to TikTok.
Kendra Kay, 31, said she goes paddleboarding among the manatees at E.G. Simmons Regional Park every week.
Kay posted multiple videos to TikTok showing one manatee, which she named Paddle, visiting her on the water.
One video shows Paddle clinging to Kay's board and poking its face out of the water for a look at the human.
Kay said it seems like Paddle recognizes her whenever she's on the water.
"Or perhaps it's just the intimate connection we share through our frequent meetings. Her gentle gaze convinces me she remembers our bond," Kay told WTVT-TV.
Kay includes a disclaimer on each of her videos explaining she does not intentionally approach or touch the manatees, as it is illegal to do so in Florida.
