Manatee noticed swimming in Appomattox River: ‘It is like a unicorn’

HOPEWELL, Va. — A Virginia girl says she skilled a once-in-a-lifetime encounter Saturday when she noticed a manatee swimming the Appomattox River close to the Hopewell marina.

Dawnn Thornton informed CBS 6 she was ready together with her husband and a pal for the town’s 250th anniversary fireworks after they seen motion within the shallow water close to the boat launch.

“He thought it was a huge fish,” Thornton mentioned. “He comes straight up to us, and that’s when we realized it was a manatee… I might as well consider this like a unicorn, because I’ve never seen one, especially not in Virginia.”

Thornton estimated the animal was eight or 9 ft lengthy, with barnacles on its again however no seen accidents.

She mentioned it appeared wholesome and “huge… it’s been eating good.”

The marine mammal lingered in view for 5 to 6 minutes, swimming upriver towards a fishing dock earlier than returning and heading east down the river.

Thornton filmed the sighting and posted the video to Facebook, the place it drew widespread consideration.

Watch: Manatee noticed swimming in Appomattox River

Manatee noticed swimming in Appomattox River

“I was surprised, pleasantly surprised,” she mentioned. “Probably be the only time I’ll ever see one, and to see it in Hopewell was crazy.”

Manatees have sometimes been noticed in Virginia rivers way back to the Nineteen Eighties, in line with sightings shared with Thornton since her video went viral.

Reports have positioned them as far upstream as Mayo Bridge in Richmond and within the York River and Mathews County.

Thornton mentioned she has since realized that such sightings must be reported to the Virginia Aquarium’s stranding response crew, which displays the well being and security of marine mammals within the space.

Manatees are federally protected, and it’s unlawful to feed, swim with or in any other case disturb them.

“Just allow them to be,”she said.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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