The humble manatee has staged one hell of a comeback.

Where once only a few hundred of the marine mammals lumbered about, the Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Thursday enough now live in Floridas waters to officially downlist the creatures from endangered to vulnerable on the U.S. Endangered Species Act list.

The downlisting comes after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission found some 6,620 now live in the states waters during its annual manatee survey, completed last month the third year in a row that more than 6,000 have been counted. The numbers represent a sharp increase from those seen in 1973, when the creatures were first listed under the ESA.

Today we both recognize the significant progress we have made in conserving manatee populations while reaffirming our commitment to continuing this species recovery and success throughout its range, said Jim Kurth, acting director of the FWS, in a statement Thursday.