By Jim “Chiefy” Mathie | New Pelican Writer
We finally got our first real “cool” front last week and that will bring lots of snowbirds to our area, traffic will be insane and our favorite restaurants will be full.
This cool front not only brings the snowbirds but also the manatees. It seems everyone is in search of the warmer air and ocean temperatures. Officially, the state-wide manatee season started Nov. 15 and ends March 31.
Boaters need to know the seasonal speed limit zones and manatee protection zones are implemented throughout the state. These gentle creatures migrate to our county in search of warmer water temperatures.
Remember, I’m referring to the manatees.
Broward County has a Manatee Conservation Program through the Natural Resources Division and wants to remind boaters to look out for manatees on county waterways including the Intracoastal and side canals. Following cold weather, manatees move into canals and Intracoastal to forage, increasing the chances of “manatee/boater interaction.”
They especially like to congregate around the Fort Lauderdale Power Plant and the Port Everglades Power Plant cooling canals. In one season, on a single day, 1,200 manatees were documented
Tips to avoid striking manatees are: obey all posted speed limits, wear polarized sunglasses to help spot them, and look for large circular slicks caused by their tails. Because they’re just below the water’s surface, they’re difficult to see.
If you do see a sick, injured, or dead manatee, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (FWC) 24-hour Wildlife Alert Number at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC or #FWC on a mobile phone.
The lobsters are here, too
Additionally, this latest cool front, especially after the tremendous rain and wind storm a few weeks ago, produced the long-awaited migratory spiny lobster “walk.”
This was late arriving as typically we see this at the end of October, coinciding with the mullet run, the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show and postseason baseball. It is triggered by the atmospheric change of the cool front, much like after a tropical storm. Now the lobsters are plentiful off our white, sandy beaches.
It’s just a timing coincidence that boat show and baseball postseason also occur now, but these are great annual reminders of the spiny lobster walk.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Deerfield Beach residents Bobby Williams snorkeling with his sons, Ethan and Brady, off the beach, caught their lobster limit. There were clusters of lobsters under small rocks in 10 feet of water. They were able to grab them with gloved hands using a net and tickle stick. There were lots of shorts so they had to measure them with their measuring device.
This was a proud moment for dad as he remembers doing the same thing with his dad, Bobby, Sr.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to finish off the holiday weekend than spending time in the water with my boys. The conditions were perfect to allow them to experience all the thrills associated with catching the bugs.”
To be considered a true Floridian, you must refer to spiny lobsters as bugs.
Manatees and bugs are plentiful this winter in Florida. So keep a keen eye out for manatees and be happy we are only halfway through lobster season.
"tasty" - Google News
December 04, 2023 at 12:47AM
https://ift.tt/u5NjD9X
Catching the Ocean View: Tasty and safety: The lobsters and ... - New Pelican Newspaper
"tasty" - Google News
https://ift.tt/6QqMcmt
https://ift.tt/AZvuabh
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Catching the Ocean View: Tasty and safety: The lobsters and ... - New Pelican Newspaper"
Post a Comment