It's a split decision for Hugh and Buffett.

LIDO KEY -- As Mote Marine Laboratory's 31-year-old manatee Hugh swam toward the Super Bowl team-decorated goal post in his tank Wednesday morning, he lingered in the white middle of the post, seemingly torn between the two teams.

But then, in a moment of clarity, he dove right, pressing his snout firmly against the New England Patriots' logo. A referee whistle, used in Hugh's training, was blown to signal an end to the games and the crowd cheered.

Hugh is only one of the two manatees that participated in the annual event. The second, 29-year-old Buffett, who shares a father with Hugh, was more certain of his choice, swimming directly from his tank toward the Atlanta Falcons' logo and firmly pushing his snout on the rectangular post.

Of the two, Buffett has the better record; he's chosen the correct winner eight of nine times. His only miss was in 2014, when he picked Denver, but Seattle won. Hugh has only chosen the right winner five of nine times.

What drives the manatees to chose either team? Mote’s senior manatee biologist, Kat Boerner, who trains Hugh and Buffett, said it’s their decision.

“It’s up to the boys,” Boerner said. “They are definitely die-hard football fans, but we’re a house divided this year.”

About 30 people, including visitors and Mote volunteers and staff, crowded around the manatee tank to watch the event. A number of tourists came from out of town and read about the predicting event on the internet. While many people said they weren’t particular fans of either team, many said they simply didn’t want the Patriots to win.

Hugh and Buffett are experience what Boerner called “target training,” which teaches them to swim toward specific targets. They use their target training as an "assigned seat in class," Boerner said, to prepare the manatees for other tasks, such as their veterinary care and husbandry.

“What we originally trained them to do was to station at a target, and by training a target behavior, we were able to transition that to do multiple different behaviors,” Boerner said. “Instead of having them choose their target, we have them choose one of the Super Bowl signs, and then we reinforce that with food.”

Boerner said they generally give the manatees a special food reward: apples, beets and carrots. On Wednesday morning, remnants of Hugh and Buffett’s fruit and vegetable prizes littered their tank.

For 69-year-old Carl King, a volunteer who’s been with Mote for about six months, the "prediction" event is revealing entertainment.

“Their training is unbelievable,” King said. “You've seen them when they’re in the water, but you have no idea how trained they are. It’s fun to watch.”

According to Mote, Hugh and Buffett are the world’s most extensively trained manatees. The training helps with their care and facilitates research on their senses and physiology, which is aimed at helping protect the endangered mammals.

Watch the manatees make their picks:

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