Watch: Wader ‘almost loses shorts’ when surprised by giant sea cow

A Florida retail company has shared footage showing a man wading in tranquil waters and nodding off while unknowingly being approached by a curious manatee.

“Guy in the gulf almost loses his shorts trying to get away from a manatee,” the See Through Canoe Company joked via Instagram . “In all fairness it sometimes takes your brain a moment to realize, it’s just a harmless manatee.”

The company took credit for the footage, but did not say when it was captured.

Manatees , as Floridians know, are gentle giants often referred to as sea cows. They spend most of their days grazing on aquatic vegetation.

But they can measure 10-plus feet and weigh more than 3,000 pounds. So for anyone who suddenly realizes that such a massive blob of a creature is just inches away, it’s natural to become startled.

Several people who watched the video commented that they could relate, based on similar encounters.

The top comment, in reference to manatees: “I think they get their jollies off scaring h00mans.”