Florida Man Goes Canal Fishing. Then He Sees Something Unusual Pop Out Of The Water: ‘Who Can Explain This?’

The state of Florida is often associated with endless sunshine, world-class attractions, and great beaches.

However, some parts of it are certainly not for the weak. Between the extreme tornado risk and the sometimes scary wildlife around you, it may require you to grow thick skin if you wish to move there.

That’s what one man quickly learned after standing on a bridge and looking toward a nearby canal while fishing.

In his video, which has garnered over 2.8 million views, TikTok creator @m_________jay used the ominous TikTok sound “Who can explain this?”

As he zooms in on the water’s surface, three jagged spikes emerge from it and then quickly disappear again.

“Was getting nice bites then all of a sudden, no fish, no splash, nothing and then this past by…??? Who can explain this That’s been here longer then me?” he added in the caption.

Viewers Debate In The Comments

In the comments section, viewers had different theories about what they were seeing.

“Not a croc. It an alligator. This is FL. Alligators can travel in saltwater,” one person wrote.

“Jesus yall are so ignorant. Just because a croc can go in salt water, DOES NOT make it a saltwater croc. An american croc (that can survive in saltwater) is NOT the same as a saltwater croc. They are two completely different species, only ONE of which lives in florida,” another said.

For context, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), American crocodiles are indeed present in the southern part of the state.

“It’s Florida no need to explain,” a third added.

What Actually Is It?

Florida is home to an extensive range of wildlife that spends much of its time in the water, including alligators, fish, turtles, and mammals. Theoretically, it could have been any of those.

However, according to a follow-up video the TikToker posted, he says he eventually figured out what it was.

Replying to a comment that said, “Looks like to me a manatee run over by a prop of a boat seen that before,” @m_________jay responded, “Your the only one right.”

Commenters under that video didn’t seem to buy it, with one writing, “This seems like the kind of thing big croc would want you to believe.”

That is one possibility. There are several photos available where a manatee’s tail resembles what is seen in the video, with a flat shape broken into jagged or split edges.

Additionally, manatees are native to Florida. According to the FWC, there are around 8,350 of them in the state’s waterways today. As of 2017, the commission says the species was reclassified from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Manatees are large, slow-moving aquatic mammals, often called “sea cows,” that spend most of their time in shallow waters.

BroBible has reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission via email for more information about what it could be and to the TikToker via direct messages.