Thursday, Feb. 1, Mote Aquarium’s resident manatees, Hugh and Buffett, predicted the winner of the Super Bowl for the 11th year in a row.
So, who will win the big game? Well, it depends on who you ask. Buffett, who has the better record, chose the Philadelphia Eagles, while Hugh chose the New England Patriots.
“We have a house divided,” said Kat Boerner, Manatee Research Supervisor. “Buffett weighed his options carefully and ultimately picked the Philadelphia Eagles. Hugh was pretty clear on his choice, the New England Patriots.”
Hugh and Buffett are highly trained in behaviors that support their care; the Super Bowl picks demonstrate one such behavior.
“The training we focus on in our manatee exhibit revolves around husbandry behaviors, which help facilitate veterinary care, and research,” Boerner said. “By having the manatees trained to go to targets, we are able to maneuver them around the exhibit and ask them for a variety of behaviors. This helps during veterinary procedures and during our research training sessions, which focus on manatee senses and physiology. The Super Bowl predictions are much like target training; we place a square PVC structure in the exhibit with a photo of each of the teams competing in the Super Bowl. Hugh and Buffett take it from there to touch one of the two team logos.”
In past years, Buffett has accurately predicted the Super Bowl winner eight of ten times and Hugh has been right six of ten times.
Here is a record of Hugh and Buffett’s Super Bowl winner picks:
| Year |
Winner |
vs. |
Buffett’s Pick | Hugh’s Pick |
| 2017 | New England Patriots | Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta Falcons | New England Patriots |
| 2016 | Denver Broncos | Carolina Panthers | Denver | Carolina |
| 2015 | New England Patriots | Seattle Seahawks | New England | Seattle |
| 2014 | Seattle Seahawks | Denver Broncos | Denver | Seattle |
| 2013 | Baltimore Ravens | San Francisco 49ers | Baltimore | Baltimore |
| 2012 | New York Giants | New England Patriots | New York | New York |
| 2011 | Green Bay Packers | New York Giants | Green Bay | New York |
| 2010 | New Orleans Saints | Indianapolis Colts | New Orleans | Indianapolis |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Arizona Cardinals | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh |
| 2008 | New York Giants | New England Patriots | New York Giants | New York Giants |
Super Bowl LII will take place at 6:30 p.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 4, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
More about Hugh and Buffett
Hugh and Buffett are the world’s most extensively trained manatees. Training not only helps their care run smoothly; it also allows them to participate in innovative research about how they use their senses, such as hearing and touch to survive, and about their physiology. Mote’s research is designed to help resource managers protect these endangered mammals.
