Secrets of the James

Uncommon Critters of the James

by Gabe Silver, Environmental Educator

If you’ve spent any time on the James River, you’ve become familiar with the great blue heron stalking the shallows, the osprey hovering above, and the Canada geese patrolling the shore. The commonly seen animals are like old friends. We know their habits well, and they alone will adorn the scenery on most of our river excursions. But once in a blue moon, we have a chance to encounter uncommon wildlife on the James as well. The animal might have reclusive habits, be a rare species, or could simply be far out of its normal range.

For me, sightings of a small flock of tundra swans on the James near Bremo Bluff, along with the spectacle of a family of otter at play and the triumph of a leaping Atlantic sturgeon round out my experience with the less common on the James. Other folks have witnessed even stranger spectacles here along America’s Founding River.

The most famous ”foreign” visitors to our waters are the manatees that occasionally swim up the James. In the fall of 2009, a manatee was spotted by many witnesses as far upriver as Richmond. The manatee’s usual range extends north only to Georgia, so this animal was far from home and in danger if it lingered as water temperatures began to decline. This 1,000 pound plant-eating mammal may have been looking for new habitat on its northward trek, but certainly hadn’t found a year-round home here.

Rumors of small tarpon caught in the James River also float around. This ancient fish lives mostly in the sub-tropics and can grow to be giants of almost 300 pounds. Every summer a handful of tarpon will show up in the Chesapeake Bay to feed during the warm weather. Apparently some find their way up the James River, perhaps enjoying the warm-water discharges from power plant operations.

There are plenty of uncommon birds sighted along the James each year as well, with birders spotting golden eagles, American white pelican, and black terns, among many others. For mammals, the secretive mink gives only a rare glimpse of itself along the river banks. Bobcat can sometimes be spotted in wild areas near the James and its tributaries as well. Looking underwater, the rarest animals you may find are the countless endangered mollusks we have in Virginia. Due to water quality and habitat degradation, many freshwater mussels are in decline, along with many small fishes that live in pristine mountain streams.

One thing is for sure, the James River is full of surprises. Keep your eyes open out there.

We want to hear about the uncommon wildlife you’ve seen on or in the James River. Please email your story to Gabe at gsilver@jrava.org.

List of Threatened and Endangered Species in Virginia
Richmond Times-Dispatch Article on the Manatee in the James

Missed a month? View the archived articles >>