|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
If you want to experience fishing
at it's best, Find a Guide that has lived here their whole life.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Manatees are Everywhere
It was a sad day in March of 2001 when a boater hit and killed one of Tampa Bay's best known and loved manatees. Her name was Ragtail, and she was pregnant. Ragtail had been studied for years by the Florida Marine Research Institute and got her name from a previous boating encounter of the too-close kind which left her with several slashes in her tail. She was one of the Adopt-A-Manatee program's poster children on their website.
Ragtail was hit and killed by a fast-moving runabout vessel off the end of the MacDill AFB runways, a popular spot for manatees to gather. Her demise was witnessed by a fisherman who called wildlife officials but there was nothing that could be done to save her - she was dead before they arrived.
A terribly sad two dozen Manatees lost their lives within the 7-county Tampa Bay area in 2000, seven of which were all too preventable watercraft related deaths according to the Florida Marine Research Institute's mortality tables. Seventy Eight Manatees perished state-wide for the same reason.
There is, however, some good news. Florida Manatee populations seem to be at a new high. A state-wide count was performed in January of 2001, and a record number of manatees were counted. Researchers from 15 state, federal and county agencies, research labs and universities cooperated to survey manatees at all wintering sites on both coasts. Teams of observers included 16 aircraft crews and 9 crews on the ground according to FMRI.
The FMRI posts the following tips of things we can all do to help the Florida Manatee:
Obey manatee speed zones, stay in marked channels and slow down in areas where manatees are known to occur. Report any dead or injured manatees to FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement at 1-800-DIAL-FMP or *FMP on a mobile phone as soon as you see them. If you hit a manatee, call for help and stay with the animal until help arrives. Wear polarized sunglasses to better see manatees in the water. Pole, paddle or use a trolling motor when you are near shallow grass beds, which are prime manatee habitat. Buy or renew a "Save the Manatee" license plate. If you see a sick, injured, dead or tagged manatee, call the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement at 1-800-DIAL-FMP or *FMP on a mobile phone.
For More Information Contact:
Captain Jay Buchanan
11020 Panama Drive - Tampa, Florida 33625
Tel: (813)920-2974
FAX: (813)926-3017
Internet: buchananjay@aol.com
|
