New York ? So what was that huge torpedo-shaped thing floating up the Hudson River?

A Florida manatee visiting for the summer.

Surprised New Yorkers have spotted the hefty tourist at least five times since July 29, from a sighting along Pier 63 in Chelsea to another 10 miles south of Kingston, N.Y. No one has yet managed to photograph or videotape the animal, but based on its appearance and behavior, “there’s no doubt that it’s a manatee,” said Julika Wocial, rescue program supervisor with The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.

From the reported sightings so far, the aquatic mammal doesn’t appear to be listing to one side, swimming in circles or breathing with difficulty – all warning signs of a manatee in trouble.

The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, cannot survive for long in water below 68 degrees, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologists likely would have attempted a rescue if the sightings had occurred in October or November. But current water temperatures in the Hudson River are well above the danger threshold.