{"id":902389,"date":"2026-06-30T05:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/902389\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T05:21:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:21:14","slug":"manatee-spotted-swimming-in-appomattox-river-its-like-a-unicorn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/902389\/","title":{"rendered":"Manatee spotted swimming in Appomattox River: ‘It’s like a unicorn’"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOPEWELL, Va. \u2014 A Virginia woman says she experienced a once-in-a-lifetime encounter Saturday when she spotted a manatee swimming the Appomattox River near the Hopewell marina.<\/p>\n

Dawnn Thornton told CBS 6 she was waiting with her husband and a friend for the city\u2019s 250th anniversary fireworks when they noticed movement in the shallow water near the boat launch.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe thought it was a huge fish,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cHe comes straight up to us, and that\u2019s when we realized it was a manatee\u2026 I might as well consider this like a unicorn, because I\u2019ve never seen one, especially not in Virginia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thornton estimated the animal was eight or nine feet long, with barnacles on its back but no visible injuries. <\/p>\n

She said it appeared healthy and \u201chuge\u2026 it\u2019s been eating good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The marine mammal lingered in view for five to six minutes, swimming upriver toward a fishing dock before returning and heading east down the river. <\/p>\n

Thornton filmed the sighting and posted the video to Facebook, where it drew widespread attention.<\/p>\n

Watch: Manatee spotted swimming in Appomattox River<\/b><\/p>\n

Manatee spotted swimming in Appomattox River<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised, pleasantly surprised,\u201d she said. \u201cProbably be the only time I\u2019ll ever see one, and to see it in Hopewell was crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manatees have occasionally been spotted in Virginia rivers as far back as the 1980s, according to sightings shared with Thornton since her video went viral. <\/p>\n

Reports have placed them as far upstream as Mayo Bridge in Richmond and in the York River and Mathews County.<\/p>\n

Thornton said she has since learned that such sightings should be reported to the Virginia Aquarium\u2019s stranding response team, which monitors the health and safety of marine mammals in the area. <\/p>\n

Manatees are federally protected, and it is illegal to feed, swim with or otherwise disturb them.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust let them be,” she said.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story. <\/b>Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n