A rare manatee sighting happened along the C&D Canal Thursday afternoon.
The mammal is native to Florida but can be seen from Texas as far north as Rhode Island.
DNREC Fish & Wildlife police Cpl. John McDerby says manatees are occasionally spotted near the Delaware beaches. But:
"This is the first time I've heard of one being this far up into Delaware and the C&D Canal," he says.
As for where the manatee came from:
"Um… Florida, I guess?" he says, laughing. "I know one had been recently seen in the Chesapeake Bay within the last two weeks. So it could potentially be the same one, but we don't have any way to verify that."
The C&D Canal connects Maryland's Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay. McDerby says boaters on the canal or on the Delaware river or Bay should be cautious of the manatee and slow to a no-wake speed if they spot it again.
Propeller strikes are the chief cause of manatee mortality.
Manatees are federally protected under both the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.