Belmar, N.J. — In a delightful twist amid the fading days of summer, a manatee has taken up temporary residence in the Shark River, surprising fishermen and boaters in the Shark River.

The gentle marine mammal, typically associated with the warmer waters of Florida, was first spotted over the weekend, marking one of the rare northernmost sightings for the species this season.

The adventure began on Saturday morning when local Harry Conover and his father ventured out on the Shark River Inlet lagoon to pick up bait.

What they encountered instead was a 12-foot manatee gliding silently through the water.

“I went out on Shark River to get bait with my dad and low and behold, we come across a 12-foot manatee,” Conover said in an interview with News 12 New Jersey. “I said to my dad ‘There’s

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