Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Manatee Spotted in Stony Brook Harbor
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 22, 2008
Modified Aug 22, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 22, 2008
Modified Aug 22, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A family tells Newsday that they spotted a manatee while fishing at Smithtown town park on Long Island. The family is pretty certain, because they had lived in Florida for two years where they saw the large mammals all the time. Tara Inzone said, "I was untangling my line at the end of the dock and I heard a spouting sound -- a psffft. I looked over and I said 'What the hell is that?' My husband said 'It's a dolphin.' I said 'That's not a dolphin. Look at how wide it is.' I thought it was a whale at first. Then its tail came up -- and it was a manatee tail. It was wide and distinctive." The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it's "not uncommon to see them pretty far up the East Coast," as manatees will chase the food supply. The last time a manatee was spotted in these parts, it was two years ago in the Hudson River.
Tagged
long island
manatee
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New York Public Radio CEO steps down after 8 months on job
Chief executive Christy Tanner is resigning after just eight months at the helm. New York Public Radio is the parent organization for WNYC and Gothamist.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 9:03 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island
By
Brittany Kriegstein
With election 3 weeks away, Hochul and Blakeman to square off in lone NY governor debate
By
Jon Campbell
NYC's taxi union teams with Uber, hedge fund demand healthcare after 4 driver deaths
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .