A manatee found swimming in the James River near Richmond this week could now be heading back through Hampton Roads.
A fisherman spotted the manatee twice this week and has the pictures to prove it.
"I've been fishing this river for almost 20 years."
And in that twenty years, Joe Owen has never seen anything like this in the James - especially so close to Richmond's skyline.
"while i was fishing i heard something blow behind me and i turned around and saw this huge animal. I was like my god!"
Quickly catching snapshots with his phone, Owen says he still couldn't figure out what he was seeing.
"i didn't know what it was, it looked like a big seal to me. My boat is 18 feet long and he was half the size of my boat."
Owen says he got a closer look when the giant mammal began to surface.
"it was coming up to the top of the water getting air and flipping over on its back and wiping its face with it's little flippers- and just swimming along wasn't paying me any mind."
That was the first sighting on Tuesday. Owen saw the manatee again Wednesday about 6 miles south near the i-295 bridge.
Wildlife officials are hoping the manatee is making its way south. Known as sea cows for their massive size, manatees inhabit the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Experts say Georgia is usually their northernmost range, but on extremely rare occasions manatees have swam up the mid-Atlantic in the summer.
Owen says he fears for its safety.
"Because as much boat traffic up and down this river- he's swimming shallow and i don't want nobody to hit him. I know they're endangered so i hope somebody gets him or he makes his way back out to the ocean where he needs to be."
Officials are optimistic the manatee is returning to its home further south, so we may be able to spot it in hampton roads before it goes back out to sea.
If you spot the manatee you're asked to call the mammal stranding network at (757) 437-6159.
A fisherman spotted the manatee twice this week and has the pictures to prove it.
"I've been fishing this river for almost 20 years."
And in that twenty years, Joe Owen has never seen anything like this in the James - especially so close to Richmond's skyline.
"while i was fishing i heard something blow behind me and i turned around and saw this huge animal. I was like my god!"
Quickly catching snapshots with his phone, Owen says he still couldn't figure out what he was seeing.
"i didn't know what it was, it looked like a big seal to me. My boat is 18 feet long and he was half the size of my boat."
Owen says he got a closer look when the giant mammal began to surface.
"it was coming up to the top of the water getting air and flipping over on its back and wiping its face with it's little flippers- and just swimming along wasn't paying me any mind."
That was the first sighting on Tuesday. Owen saw the manatee again Wednesday about 6 miles south near the i-295 bridge.
Wildlife officials are hoping the manatee is making its way south. Known as sea cows for their massive size, manatees inhabit the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Experts say Georgia is usually their northernmost range, but on extremely rare occasions manatees have swam up the mid-Atlantic in the summer.
Owen says he fears for its safety.
"Because as much boat traffic up and down this river- he's swimming shallow and i don't want nobody to hit him. I know they're endangered so i hope somebody gets him or he makes his way back out to the ocean where he needs to be."
Officials are optimistic the manatee is returning to its home further south, so we may be able to spot it in hampton roads before it goes back out to sea.
If you spot the manatee you're asked to call the mammal stranding network at (757) 437-6159.
