Citrus: Wildlife officer works to keep manatees safe

Wildlife officer works to keep manatees safe

Kam Johnson and about a dozen marine officers patrol the gulf and inland waterways of Hernando County north to Taylor County.

By LOGAN NEILL

CRYSTAL RIVER -- If you cruise the waterways in and around Crystal River and come across Kam Johnson, chances are he will give a friendly wave as you pass. But should you be barreling above the legal speed limit, the greeting you will get will be something far less cordial.

That's because Johnson, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Cnservation Commission officer, takes that aspect of his job very seriously.

"I've probably heard every excuse you can imagine -- like they didn't see the signs, or they don't know how fast idle speed is -- all kinds of things," Johnson said as he steered his 22-foot vessel through the shallows around Kings Bay. "The thing is, some people just don't feel speeding is that big of a deal."

Johnson sees firsthand how big a deal it is, especially this time of year when cold weather forces manatees into the shallow waters of his patrol area. Excessive boat speed probably accounts for the majority of manatee injuries he has seen in his 11 years on the job.

"It's rare here to see one that doesn't have propeller marks down its back," he says. "No matter how much the animals try to get out of the way, they aren't going to able to outrun a boat that's going fast."

Johnson and about a dozen marine officers patrol the area his agency has dubbed Bravo Four, which stretches from the gulf and inland waterways of Hernando County north to Taylor County. Working 12-hour shifts, the small force has plenty to contend with every day as they patrol for commercial and sport fishing violations, conduct random safety checks in pleasure craft and look for wildlife harassment.

On weekends, when hundreds of boaters are drawn to the water, his job intensifies greatly, Johnson said. "Even with the help we get help from (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife and the sheriff's department, we're still outnumbered most of the time," he said.

During the winter, when manatees seek refuge in the warm springs of the region, the agency steps up enforcement in zones designated for slow or idle speed.

Armed with a radar detector a pair of eyes that can detect a vessel traveling too fast, Johnson lies in wait for careless boaters, ready to hand out $68 speeding tickets. He doesn't have a lot of sympathy for flagrant violators.

"When you see a guy blowing by at 50 or 60, he's doing it because he doesn't think anybody's watching," says Johnson. "He may have a $30,000 boat, but he's going to get a $68 lesson."

Johnson's regular patrols takes him in and around the many manatee protection zones in search of harassment violations. On occasion he cruises in an unmarked boat to better blend in with the public.

Although well-publicized manatee education campaigns have resulted in fewer incidents in recent years, Johnson says the public conscience is probably the only assurance of the species' long-term survival.

"Luckily, most people have developed a respect and understanding for manatees," he says. "Making sure that we keep their habitat safe is probably the best way to keep them around for the future."