The manatee mom and her twin calves. Notice the "manatee footprint" at the top of the photo. The footprint is a flat spot that is created by the up and down motion of the manatee's paddle-shaped tail when it swims. (Photo courtesy of Joanne Tuxbury)

At the end of December, Joanne Tuxbury photographed a rare event in Florida. A female manatee made an appearance near Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and she brought her twin calves along with her.

Twins are unusual for manatees. On average, a mature female, or cow, will bear one calf every two to five years. The reproductive rate for manatees is low. Females are not sexually mature until about five years of age, and males are mature at approximately nine years of age. Mothers nurse their young for one to two years, so a calf may remain dependent on its mother during that time.

(Photo courtesy of Joanne Tuxbury)

"We often have manatee mothers and their calves gather outside the park," says Susan Strawbridge, Park Services Specialist. "But it is unusual to have a mother and twin calves come up to show off her new babies to our visitors."

Tuxbury, a retired elementary school teacher, is a volunteer at the park and often brings her camera to work. "I love photographing animals there, especially manatees," she says. "I have photographed manatees in both the wild and at the park. This is my first one with mama and twins. It's very exciting to see this unusual manatee event in the wild. I was in the right place at the right time."

Read more about manatee birth and reproduction.

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