Red mangrove forms mono-specific communities along the shorelines of tropical oceans and is exposed to wave, current and wind energy. Mangroves are well adapted for life in the intertidal zone and likely have specific biomechanical adaptations to deal with this distinctive environment. During establishment, seedlings are particularly susceptible, limiting the habitats that they can successfully colonize. We tested mangrove seedlings ranging in height from 24 to 43 cm with three to five pairs of leaves in a flume at current velocities of 0 to 0.75 m/s. Frontal views were videotaped and used to calculate velocity-specific frontal area. As velocity increased, the upper leaves reoriented themselves with the flow, forming a cluster around the stem, reducing drag. This behaviour was not always observed in lower pair(s) of leaves. Leaf pairs oriented perpendicular to the flow often flapped up and down in the water column, while leaves on the upstream side sometimes bent downward, increasing frontal area. Stem bending at higher velocities also reduced frontal area and drag. Drag increased near-linearly with flow velocity. At these speeds, loads would be insufficient to cause uprooting or stem failure.