The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says about 20 manatees were seen in Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton County yesterday. FWC spokeswoman Rebekah Nelson said a gathering of that many manatees usually means that it is a mating herd, often found in shallow, near-shore water during the spring and summer. The FWC encourages bystanders to keep their distance because getting too close may cause a manatee to be injured.