Mote manatees split their Super Bowl picks

Like many football fans, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s resident manatees are making their predictions for this year’s Super Bowl winner.

On Feb. 1, Mote manatees Hugh and Buffett made their prediction for Super Bowl LII.

Hugh chose the New England Patriots.

Buffett chose Philadelphia Eagles.

However, both manatees seemed unsure of their pick at first with both swimming toward one team logo then touching another.

Since the manatees began predicting the Super Bowl 11 years ago, Hugh has predicted correctly six times and Buffett has chosen correctly eight times.

For those that aren’t sure who will win, Mote scientists  recommend siding with Buffett.

“I would say that based off of record, I would pick whoever Buffett picks to win the Super Bowl,” Senior Mote Biologist Kat Boerner said.

The consensus among Las Vegas' odds-making sharks sees the Patriots as 4.5-point favorites as of Thursday morning.

Hugh and Buffett know to swim to one of the team logos, attached to a makeshift goal post, because of their training. Mote has a special permit to train Hugh and Buffett, who are two of the most extensively trained manatees in the world, Boerner said.