Ilya the manatee, stuck for several days in a tributary of the Arthur Kill, enjoyed a meal from his New Jersey hosts Friday and then headed off down the coast — without even leaving a tip.

“After eating a case of lettuce, the manatee was last seen going back into the river,” said Charles Underwood, of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Animal-welfare officials hope Ilya is heading for Florida, where the animal is a familiar sight around Key West.

The manatee appeared in the northeast this fall, where he encountered unseasonably cold water temperatures that dipped below what would be safe for the animal.