CAMERON PARISH, La. (KPLC) - A Lake Charles man ran across an unusual sight while fishing in Big Lake over the weekend – a manatee.

Chris Hebert shared a photo of the large aquatic mammal to a local fishing group Friday, racking up dozens of comments and shares.

While not often seen in Louisiana, rivers and estuaries along the Gulf Coast are part of the West Indian Manatee’s native range, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries . They can be found in the Calcasieu, Barataria, Mermentau, Pearl and Pontchartrain river basins.

Manatees are most common in Florida but are also found in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and the Carolinas. They normally travel along the northern Gulf Coast during the summer and return to Florida in early fall, according to LDWF.

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