After a swim with a docile mammal, near Tampa Bay, Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez has been charged with breaking the Florida Marine Sanctuary Act.
Laws in Florida state that people should “protect and preserve living and other resources of the Florida Keys marine environment.”
Gutierrez admitted riding the mammal.
The charge against Gutierrez carries $500 (£320) fine or 60 days in jail. A price we’re sure people would be willing to pay for the same experience.
Manatees are gentle giants of the sea and can live to be 60 years old. The manatee in particular, that carried Gutierrez along the coastline, is presumed to have survived unscathed from the encounter.
Picture: Getty.
