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Outdoors
Manatee watch
By Times Staff
Published July 6, 2007
Hundreds of manatees make their home in Tampa Bay, and most have scars from collisions with boats. A third of manatee deaths are caused by impact with a boat's hull or prop. Many deaths can be prevented by adopting these boating practices:
-Wear polarized sunglasses to reduce glare on the water.
-Stay in deep channels. Avoid running your motor over sea grass beds. Go slow in water less than 6 feet deep.
-Look for a manatee's snout, back, tail or flipper in the water. A swirl or flat spot signals a manatee may be swimming below.
-Watch for posted speed zone and sanctuary signs.
-Don't discard fishing line, hooks or trash into the water.
-Look, but don't touch. Resist the urge to feed manatees, dolphins or other wild animals.
-If you see an injured or dead manatee, call (888) 404-FWCC, or hail the nearest law enforcement officer on Ch. 16 on a VHF radio.
Source: Tampa BayWatch, Save the Manatee Club, Florida Audubon Society and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
[Last modified July 5, 2007, 13:52:07]
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