Florida Man Arrested for Making His Kids Ride a Manatee Calf

By Kyle Munzenrieder Mon., Feb. 18 2013 at 5:01 PM

Manatees are for looking, not touching. Even people who lack common sense should have learned that after Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez turned herself in for attempting to ride a manatee in the Tampa Bay area.

Not everyone got the message. Ryan William Waterman, a 21-year-old Fort Pierce man, has been arrested after posting online pictures of his two young children riding a manatee calf.

During a trip to Taylor Creek, Waterman and his two daughters encountered the manatee calf. Waterman then posted pictures of the manatee harassment on Facebook.

In one photo, one of his young daughters is straddling the baby manatee while the other touches it. In another, Waterman himself is shown lifting the manatee out of the water.

Apparently someone who saw the pictures contacted authorities. According to the Palm Beach Post, Waterman has now been arrested for violating the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act.

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aceofspeeds

Jeez, why couldn't he just go to a store, buy a blow-up or stuffed manatee and have his kids play with it in the water?

FrauBlucher

sorry, idiots....the world isn't a disney ride for your stupid brats.

he fact that he's 21 with two kids speaks volumes.

alexiazoe

Wow NO respect for our animals, our fragile and ENDANGERED native animals...everyone should be teaching their children how to respect manatees and all our other delicate creatures..and educating their kids on how vital they are to our ecosystem; not placing your kid ON them ..what a stupid idiot. sad.