A manatee was rescued from entanglement in a pound net in the waters off Windmill Point in Virginia’s Northern Neck, the state’s Marine Police wrote on Facebook Monday.
The West Indian manatee, native to Florida and the Caribbean, occasionally visits the Chesapeake region in the summer. The Northern Neck is a peninsula, bordered by the Potomac River to the north and the Rappahannock River to the south.
At around noon Sunday, paddle boarders reported the trapped manatee to authorities. Marine Police Officer Neil Gunter responded to the scene; while the manatee did not appear distressed and was freely swimming within the bounds of the net, he called in more assistance.
In its Facebook notice, the Virginia Marine Police posted footage of the manatee contained within the pound net, a fish trap with a narrow entrance.
Mr. Gunter also contacted the owner of the pound net, unidentified in the VMP post. By 2 p.m., the owner and Mr. Gunter had gotten the net lowered into the water far enough for the manatee to swim away.
“I was surprised to see a manatee up here; in fact, I didn’t believe it when the call came in. But it was cool to see one in person, and I am glad that I could help in its time of need. It’s what we do,” Mr. Gunter said on Facebook.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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