Update: Two beached manatees at Ponce Inlet shore got back in the water and swam away

Two manatees that were on the beach in Ponce Inlet are back in the water, according to Volusia County officials who were monitoring them to make sure they got back into the water safely, county spokesman David Hunt said.

The manatees were reported at roughly 7 a.m. north of Beach Street in Ponce Inlet. Mating herds along the coastline are extremely common in the spring, Hunt said.

It's manatee mating season, and often female manatees will depart from the herd to get a break, he said. In this case, a female manatee went onto the shore and a male followed.

"It's a normal behavior," Hunt said.

Hunt said Volusia County's Marine Mammal Stranding team was at the scene to make sure the manatees got back into the water safely.

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"In this case, a presumed male followed a presumed female. At this point, both manatees have swum away," he said.

People should not approach or touch stranded animals and should report sightings to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-3922, according to Hunt.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Manatees discovered washed up on Ponce Inlet shore