During college, I volunteered at a museum where I worked with Snooty, the only manatee born and bred in captivity. Basically, I went to hang out with him once a week for a few hours while his caretaker cleaned his tank. I fed him apples and starfruit and strawberries and lettuce and beets. Snooty liked to give hugs and playfully rub his muzzle against my arms. He was the coolest. (He also sometimes got a huge manatee boner and tried to get it on with visiting manatees, which was less cool and super awkward to watch.) Sometimes I forget about volunteering with Snooty—it’s sort of a weird, neat thing, isn’t it? Only in Florida, I guess.

photo via cute overload