A US canoeist had an unforgettable experience with a manatee last week when the rare creature began to push the craft through the water.

"Manatees are friendly and sometimes they can be pushy," the filmer wrote online.

The clip was captured in Florida, USA on February 3.

Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows.

All three species of manatee are listed by the World Conservation Union as vulnerable to extinction.