[VIDEO] Is That a Dolphin? No, it’s a Manatee Swimming Near the Texas Shore!
How cool is this video? This happened in Texas City. A man who thought he was filming a dolphin instead caught a rare manatee on tape swimming along the shore.
The video, captured by viewer Pay Habib on Monday, shows the manatee for a few seconds just floating near the shore off the Texas City Dike.
TV station KTRK out of Houston says manatee sightings are not all that uncommon in Texas during this time of year.
Manatees are known to occasionally visit Texas, swimming in for a "summer vacation" from Florida and Mexico before returning to warmer waters for the winter, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Who knew we can actually see manatees down near the Texas coast? Of course, there are dolphins, whales, sharks, even jellyfish, and more in the Gulf of Mexico. It's amazing all the amphibious life there is available to us here in the Lone Star state.
I think if I were filming this video, I would have also thought it was a rather larger dolphin at first. I have seen dolphins along the coast near South Padre Island, but I have never seen a manatee. I suppose I need to go back down there and see if I can see one next time.
Have you ever seen a manatee? Or have you seen dolphins swimming in the Gulf off the Texas coast? Or have you ever seen whales? Let us know. Share your videos with us on Facebook or on our station app. We'd love to see them!