Manatee Abuse caught on tape

[Jonathan Bird]

Interesting and sad story:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/11/Citrus/Manatee_abuse_caught_.shtml

It seems that the people who feel we should not be allowed to swim with manatees (i.e. Save the Manatee Club, etc.) are out with video cameras gathering evidence to be used to strengthen their case for banning interactions. They are finding no shortage of idiots that prove their point.:mad:

Jonathan

[tarczy]

Just reviewed the video along with a bunch of others that the website led me to.

Personally (and I'll probably be crucified for making this statement, but whatever), I think the Save The Manatee Club has gone the way of every other loony liberal activist group - off the freakin' reservation!!!! Tracy Colson shows videos of a photographer apparently harassing a Manatee by shooting its picture "persistently." There is no way that Manatee was disturbed, yet she claims it was. Also, she claims Manatees don't like their bellies rubbed - it's "unwanted." How do we know that? I always thought the belly is the most tender part of most animals - a part that usually gets protected at all costs. Rolling over to expose the belly while being rubbed suggests to me something completely different than "unwanted."

C'mon!!!

It's clear that Save The Manatees Club's current path is to ban all human interaction with Manatees, thus making all of us criminals. Yet, there is absolutely zero enforcement of boaters violating speed limits in Manatee zones - even though speeding propeller blades are the chief cause of death for Manatees. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen a photographer, or even an overzealous tourist kill a Manatee. :mad: Yeah . . . there are some "tourons" that need to be reined in, but criminalizing all interaction with Manatees is just another example of liberalism gone amuck! :eek:

I think Save The Manatees Club should pay more attention to boaters who run over migrating Manatees rather than trying to make all of us Manatee fans absolute criminals. Better yet, they should join Operation Leviathan and work to stop Japan's annual slaughter of the Ocean's whales in the name of "research." Now, there's a cause to support!!

Check out their page . . .

http://www.myspace.com/operationleviathan (http://www.myspace.com/operationleviathan)

or check out their blog and read about their adventures . . .

http://blog.myspace.com/operationleviathan (http://blog.myspace.com/operationleviathan)

[Jonathan Bird]

Mark, you hit the nail right on the head. For many years I have noticed that a lot of dive magazines and divers talk about how great the Save The Manatee club is without ever checking out their agenda. Save the Manatee club runs ads in all the dive magazines asking for money. They get their press releases run for free by dive magazines. They get their name plastered all over the place by divers because the divers have never bothered to check them out. They just assume that since they love manatees, the Save the Manatee club is on their side. WRONG. The Save The Manatee club has a blatant mission to stop all human-manatee interactions, period. They think it's bad and it is harming the manatees.

I agree that there are a very small percentage of people who abuse the priviledge of swimming with the manatees, but they usually get busted by the volunteers that patrol the sanctuary every day and call in the marine patrol to fine them or even arrest them. I did a whole film about this a few years back. I went out with the marine patrol for a day and filmed what they do. I interviewed the volunteers, and I filmed what happens at the springs. The vast majority of people try their best to be good. The animals that don't like the attention simply swim away and rest elsewhere where they can't be found or go into the sanctuary protected area where swimmers aren't allowed.

OF COURSE they love to be rubbed. I met a guy who goes out in the morning with a huge brush and brushes the algae off the animals. They lined up and pushed each other out of the way to get brushed. The ones that like human interaction seek it out. The ones that don't, you never see.

The thing that bothers me about this video is that all you need is some a-hole doing something stupid, caught on tape, to give enviro-nazis the ammunition they need to shut down the manatee interactions. Fortunately, there is a TREMENDOUS amount of money put into the Crystal River economy because of manatees, and that is a strong enough lobby that it will be hard for STMC to get them shut down. It would destroy the economy of Crystal River.

Jonathan

[Clay Coleman]

Well, I can't get the video to play, but I've seen my share of idiocy in manatee interactions. On the flip side, I've also witnessed silly, over-the-top displays of concern by kayaking volunteers for interactions that are clearly innocuous. I'm on the same page with Mark and Jonathan. Despite the occasional harmful interaction, the continuation of manatees as a marketable commodity is the best hope for their continued protection. -Clay

[Jonathan Bird]

On the flip side, I've also witnessed silly, over-the-top displays of concern by kayaking volunteers for interactions that are clearly innocuous.

Ain't that the truth! I had one of those volunteers actually paddle over and use an oar as a pole to prod my assistant (on a rebreather, sitting on the bottom in 5 feet of water, doing nothing) to get his attention. He made a fuss that we weren't allowed to use scuba (you are, it just isn't really necessary most of the time. In fact they do dive training in the springs.) I had to have our production manager (sitting on shore across the canal) call the marine patrol to explain to the volunteer that we are allowed to use scuba, and that if he prodded my crew one more time I would have him arrested for battery. They are not allowed to touch anyone. They are only there to monitor and tell people not to harass the animals, and call the marine patrol for anything else.

That being said, they do a good job most of the time keeping the masses from riding the animals and chasing them. The springs can really be a zoo on the weekends.

Jonathan

[bubbayeow]

Hope you guys don't mind my "hijacking" this thread to post some shots from this past weekend's manatee snorkel at Homosassa Springs in Florida.

Adding to the comments.. there were some manatees that REALLY enjoyed being rubbed this past weekend. There was this lady and particular manatee that were really into each others' company...so much so that her husband remarked that there was a good possiblity that either that manatee was going home with them, or his wife was leaving him for the manatee!

[Kelly]

That's funny about the husband and wife :p :D . Nice pics, thanks for posting them! :)

[Clay Coleman]

Nice shots! Were those at the Homosassa preserve? There haven't been many animals there for the past 2 years. Did you stay at the Sea Grass? -Clay

[bubbayeow]

Yes, that was at the entrance to the spring from Homosassa State Park, and yes, we stayed at the Seagrass. I think the number of manatees there depends on what the temperatures are. We were there back in 2006 on a weekend where the high was in the mid-30's (yes, Florida does have days like that every now and then...) and there were at least 30 of them at the spring entrance. This past weekend, I counted at least 20 of them within the sanctuary area, and we passed quite a few in the river on the way to the spring.

[Jonathan Bird]

Don't you just love swimming with the manatees? They are so great.

[bubbayeow]

They are like overgrown puppy dogs...

[Robyn C.]

....especially since I was at Crystal River snorkeling with the manatees just last weekend. We rented a pontoon boat and visited the Three Sisters and King's Bay areas. The vis at both of these springs wasn't the best I've ever seen, but the manatees were plentiful and we had a great time.
Here's a few pics I shot at King's Bay:


http://www.myfavoritesea-nery.com/gallery/albums/album07/manatee3.sized.jpg


http://www.myfavoritesea-nery.com/gallery/albums/album07/manatee2.sized.jpg


http://www.myfavoritesea-nery.com/gallery/albums/album07/two_manatees.sized.jpg


Thankfully, the kayaking volunteers seemed reasonable and didn't try to stop any of us from gently and respectfully interacting with the manatees. It was interesting, however, that at Three Sister's spring we saw a couple of people standing on top of someone's roof, video taping and peering at the snorkelers through binoculars! Even though we weren't doing anything wrong, it was creepy being watched by those people.

Also, when I went to talk with a snorkeling tour operator later that day to try to book a trip for myself on the following morning, I casually mentioned to him that I already had my own gear, including a weight belt. A shocked look came over his face and he asked, "Why do you want to use a weight belt?" I went on to explain that I'm an experienced diver who's been in the water with manatees before and I'm very serious about my photography. I told him that I intended to free dive a little bit beneath the surface to get the kind of shots I want. "Absolutely not!" was his reply. "No one is allowed to free dive with the manatees!" Although he did go on to say that he didn't think I would personally do anything to harm the manatees, he said that I would be "setting a bad example for the others." :confused:
Needless to say, I didn't book the tour with him. I'm hoping to return to Crystal River in late March or April with friends and we'll rent our own boat.
BTW..has anyone been to Crystal River during March or April? The manatees may not be as plentiful then, but I'm told the water tends to be a lot clearer. I'd appreciate some input on this.

Thanks! Robyn

[tarczy]

Robyn . . .

Great pics!

Love the one in the middle!~! ;)

[bubbayeow]

Robyn, thanks for the great shots. How did you manage to get such clear shots given the viz? Did you use strobes or are these with ambient light?

It was the same at Homossasa. We were warned to stay afloat when in close proximity to the manatees. We were also cautioned not to fin too quickly as it may be construed by the "authorities" that we were in pursuit of the manatees. Overall, I guess I have to agree with these policies. After all, they can't have one set of rules for us "responsible" types, and another set of rules for the rest of them.

[Robyn C.]

Robyn, thanks for the great shots. How did you manage to get such clear shots given the viz? Did you use strobes or are these with ambient light?


You're welcome Bubba. Yes, I did use a little strobe lighting for these shots...double YS-90's each set to 1/2 power. I find that a little kiss of light can make such a big difference. I first had my strobes set to full power, but the images were way too hot.


It was the same at Homossasa. We were warned to stay afloat when in close proximity to the manatees. We were also cautioned not to fin too quickly as it may be construed by the "authorities" that we were in pursuit of the manatees. Overall, I guess I have to agree with these policies. After all, they can't have one set of rules for us "responsible" types, and another set of rules for the rest of them.

Hmm,,I'm still not sure. I think that the majority of people are the 'responsible' types so why should the majority be penalized?
If a swimmer or a boater does bring harm to a manatee, then I think they should be prosecuted to the nth degree. However, why is it assumed that everyone is 'guilty until proven innocent?' Robyn

[Jonathan Bird]

The fact of the matter is that scuba diving in the springs is legal and if you want to scuba with the manatees (or in my case, use a rebreather, or in your case free dive, or whatever) there is no law against it. But they watch you like a hawk, just waiting for you to swim after one so they can yell at you! They truly have it in for UW photographers at Crystal River, so always always assume you are being watched and never ever do anything that can be considered harassment.

Jonathan

[video newbie]

wow! I"m heading down to FL later in the spring for some training and was hoping to get in with the Manatees for a bit. Not sure if I want to now after hearing all of this. I don't really feel like being made to feel like some sort of criminal because I want to look at an amazing creature.

[bubbayeow]

Thanks, Robyn. I guess the water at Homosassa was just darker because I was at full on my strobes and still couldn't get enough light on them.

Jonathan, I don't know about that. Some state parks here in Florida will close their springs to swimmers, kayakers, scuba divers, etc. when there are manatees in the springs.

Video Newbie, please don't let what we've said stop you. Interacting with the manatees (when the manatees let you...) is quite the experience. The rules and policies are with the intent to prevent harrassment and should be taken in that spirit. There will always be the "nazi" types regardless of what or where you are.

[Clay Coleman]

The "manatee police" are rather artibrary in their enforcement of their rules. I've never been questioned about free diving for shots. Here's my buddy Dave Breidenbach pasted to the bottom at 3 Sisters. The manatee was probably not aware of his presence.
http://claycoleman.tripod.com/987bcd20.jpg
On the other hand, the kayak police seem to look the other way when the large tour boats drop their hordes onto the animals. These snorkelers raced to this little resting manatee and actually tipped it over before it awoke and swam away. Not a word was said as people walked in the shallows and chased animals.
http://claycoleman.tripod.com/98ebcd10.jpg
Bottom line: Use common sense and be respectful. I've always brought my own boat and have never had to deal with the tour operators. If one will not allow a weight belt, find another who is more attuned to photographers. -Clay

[Jonathan Bird]

Jonathan, I don't know about that. Some state parks here in Florida will close their springs to swimmers, kayakers, scuba divers, etc. when there are manatees in the springs.

State Parks can make any rules they want. Crystal River is a refuge, not a park.