Five manatees came very close to shore in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Thursday afternoon.

Slideshow: Manatees Mate Along Shore

Florida wildlife officials said the manatees were most likely mating.

About 100 people surrounded the animals when they got close to shore. Many touched the manatees and a few attempted to ride them.

The manatee is an endangered species and according to the Florida Wildlife Advocacy Project, it is highly illegal to touch a manatee. The government classifies two hands on a manatee as a "take" and a person can face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for "taking" an endangered species.

Officials have not said whether any of the beachgoers will be fined.

The Florida manatee has been listed as an endangered species since 1967.

Although there are only about 2,400 manatees remaining, last year 268 manatees were killed in Florida waters and 82 of those were killed by boat collisions, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dr. Greg Bossart, of Harbor Branch Oceanographic, said the group of manatees spotted Thursday was most likely a mating herd.

According to Florida wildlife officials, it is typical for three or four male manatees to trap a female and lead her toward shallow water where they mate.