Manatee in Florida borrows boy's surfboard: VIDEO

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- It was a close encounter of the marine kind in Florida, when a manatee decided to try out a child's surfboard.

Leesa Blais shared video of the interaction on Facebook, showing the playful encounter in the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The video shows her son, Evan, on a surfboard as a manatee swims beneath it.

The manatee nudges the board and eventually puts its flipper on top of it, effectively taking it from the child.

Blais told local media that Evan initially thought it was a shark and was frightened, but the manatee appeared to want to play.

There were actually two manatees swimming together, and the pair swam around Blais' twin sons and husband for about 10 minutes.

"It was pretty cool for our boys to experience," Blais explained.

Blais said the interaction made for a once-in-a-lifetime birthday gift for the twins, who turned 11 years old the next day.