Mote manatees predict Super Bowl LI winner

For a few seconds, it seemed as though Hugh, one of Mote Aquarium’s manatees, was going to predict that Super Bowl LI would end in a tie. In a last minute switch though, he swam to one side. Only one team could win.

On Feb. 1, Mote’s manatees made their 10th annual Super Bowl predictions. A logo from each team, the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots, were stuck to the ends of what looked like a goal post made out of PVC pipes. Each manatee took a turn swimming to his favorite side of the post, thus choosing which team they thought would win.

It looks like their tank is a divided one. Hugh, a 31-year-old manatee, chose the Patriots. Buffett, a 29-year-old manatee chose the Falcons. This isn’t the first time the two have disagreed. Some could say it’s sibling rivalry as the two marine mammals have the same father. However, for the times the two have agreed on a team, they have been right every time, senior aquarium biologist Kat Boerner said.

Buffett has a little bit of a better record than Hugh. Buffett holds a record of 8-1 while Hugh has a record of 5-4. Boerner, who has worked closely with the manatees for the past eight years, can’t decide who she thinks is right this year.

“I don’t know because we’ve been doing this for 10 years, and it’s up to the animal,” she said. “They get to choose which team they want to win. Buffett definitely has the better record, but Hugh is creeping up on him. Hugh’s definitely making his way up to a better record as well.”

Through a permit, Mote is allowed to train Hugh and Buffett, Boerner said. One of the first things Hugh and Buffett worked on was target training, which is what leads them to predicting a Super Bowl winner each year.