I’m sure the bosses and managers of the world have heard some pretty weird excuses for people being late for work. I can only imagine that list gets even more special in Florida, the land where tourists leave their money and where weirdness dominates the headlines.
So, do you think those managers even batted an eye when folks explained why this traffic jam happened?
More often than not, you don’t even get to know why traffic snarls.
You just get to sit in quiet rage, surrounded by other drivers quietly raging themselves, as everyone wonders why the heck traffic isn’t moving and for how long it won’t be moving.
Throw in a full bladder and you’ve got a perfect storm of misery.
However, drivers caught up in a recent traffic jam in Florida did get to find out why their commute came to a standstill.
And, as sometimes happens, it was due to other drivers slowing down and checking out some nearby scenery — not a collision, but a beautiful and rare display of nature.
Just off the side of the highway, a group of majestic manatees had gathered — for an orgy.
Okay, the technical term for it is a “mating ball,” but as traffic helicopter footage from local news station WFTS showed, the sea cows were going for it, group style.
It turns out that such mating balls are rare and important events for manatees.
Apparently they only happen every three-to-five years, and it’s a highly competitive ritual in which at least seven males will corner a lone, breeding-ready female and shove each other aside hoping to be the one to get with her.
Given that manatees are considered a “threatened” species, it’s critical that they be allowed to make their magic.
Although why so many drivers felt the need to pull over and hold up traffic to behold the spectacle is less clear.
RELATED STORIES
The manatee mating season runs from March to November, so if you’re in Florida, prepare for more possible manatee-sex related traffic jams.
h/t WFTS
