Woman left sobbing after she spots something in the water while paddleboarding

When Bridgette Anastasia ventured out paddleboarding, she never imagined she'd tick something off her bucket list - or that it would leave her in floods of tears. She was paddleboarding in Floridawhen she suddenly blurted out: "Whatthe f*** is that?" as she paddled closer and closer to whatever had caught her eye, clearly unperturbed at first.

Once more, she questioned "what is that?" remaining uncertain until she drew nearer to it. But then she suddenly gasped: "You guys, it's a manatee". For those unfamiliar, manatees are enormous, docile, aquatic mammals that inhabit warm coastal waters, rivers, and springs.

They're occasionally dubbed "sea cows" because they feed on underwater vegetation, much like cows munch on grass.

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Manatees typically regarded as amiable and mild-mannered, frequently approaching humans and vessels without trepidation.

Their peaceful nature and distinctive physical traits, such as teeth evolved for crushing plants rather than attacking, means they've earned a reputation as one of the ocean's gentle giants.

They move at a leisurely pace, dedicating most of their time to feeding, resting, and migrating, and must regularly come to the surface to breathe air.

Manatees are classified as vulnerable or endangered, primarily because of habitat destruction, boat strikes, and contamination.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warned that "if manatees become accustomed to being around people, they can alter their behaviour in the wild, perhaps causing them to lose their natural fear of boats and humans, which may make them more susceptible to harm," hence touching them is not allowed.

Bridgette was left utterly stunned when she encountered a manatee while out paddleboarding. She began filming as the gentle giant swam next to her board.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she burst into tears, unable to believe she'd seen one of these majestic creatures in the wild.

She captioned her video: "Very valid crash out in my opinion. So glad I got to check this off my bucket list!!"

As the manatee swam alongside her paddleboard, its head peeking out of the water, Bridgette admitted she was "shaking" and couldn't stop exclaiming "oh my God".

She captured footage of the manatee repeatedly approaching her paddleboard, cooing: "Hey, baby. Oh my God, you're so sweet."

Many social media users supported her reaction to the adorable and massive sea creature.

One woman commented: "Extremely appropriate reaction, I would say you were calm."

Another added: "If you don't feel this way over manatees, I wouldn't trust you. So this is a green flag.

"This is how you know you're taking full advantage of life and never taking anything in it for granted. I love this reaction - feel all the feels, girl! Life is a beautiful, crazy ride," one person shared with her.

Another Instagram user chimed in: "What an amazing experience! I know you're legally not allowed, but I would have the HARDEST time not touching it."