A manatee has made its way to the upper Delaware River, travelling from Florida to Bordentown City, New Jersey.
A state Division of Fish and Wildlife conversation officer confirmed the sighting of the manatee, according to multiple media reports. The manatee, a docile endangered marine species typically seen off the Florida coast, was spotted by a fisherman near the Crosswick Creek.
Manatees, also known as sea cows, are herbivores that can grow up to eight feet in length and weigh as much as 1,300 pounds, according to National Geographic. The slow-moving creatures can live up to 40 years, but are threatened by motorboats and can become entangled in fishing nets.
Chuck Underwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told NJ.com that it is unusual — but not unprecedented — for a manatee to venture north of Florida's warmer waters. He urged people not to feed or follow the animal.
"It's just a tourist," Underwood told NJ.com. "Just let it do its thing and the animal will likely be just fine on its own."
This marks the first time a manatee has been spotted in a New Jersey waterway since 2009, according to the Camden Courier-Post.
Cathy Beck, a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Gainesville, Florida, told the newspaper that more than a half-dozen manatees have wandered as far north as Rhode Island since 1994. The first New Jersey sighting came in 2001.
"The manatee population in Florida is increasing and maybe this pattern is due to improved habitat along the East Coast or because there is more public awareness in spotting one," Beck said.
A manatee also was spotted last week swimming at Summit North Marina in Kirkwood, Delaware. It is unclear whether the manatee is the same animal seen in New Jersey.