3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Lets Hope this does not point to last weekend ..... :(

http://www.news4jax.com/news/9377324/detail.html


3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns

POSTED: 3:10 pm EDT June 15, 2006
UPDATED: 5:01 pm EDT June 15, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Wildlife investigators are investigating the deaths of three manatees found floating in the St. Johns River Thursday.

Investigators said the mammals have deep wounds that might have been caused by speeding boats.

Channel 4's Melanie Lawson reported that a fourth manatee was found seriously injured and was being taken to Lyons Club Park.

Environmentalist remain concerned about manatees, especially because the animals were recently removed from Florida's endangered-species list and put on the threaten-species list.

However, boaters are still expected to abide by rules posted in the manatee zone.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, an average of 336 manatees died each year in Florida over the last five years. An average of 43, which is 22 percent, of those are the result of watercraft impact.

There were 14 manatees deaths recorded in Duval County last year, four by watercraft.

The FFWCC said the state manatee population is currently at about 3,000.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

If they were hit by a RECREATIONAL boat that 99.9% of the time has an outboard or an I/O with a SKAG on it, then there would be a deep gash from the SKAG and small 1/2 moon shaped cuts along one side of the Skag cut. If you ever see a Manatee with prop scars, 99.9% of them have VERY LARGE 1/2 moon shaped scars, with NO SKAG cut/gash. That indicates that the Manatee was more than likely hit by a boat that's an inboard driven boat, equipped with a rudder. And just about ALL Commercial barges and tugs are inboards. It doesn't take a rocket scienctist to figure out what type of vessels are hitting Manatees! :mad:
The SJR has a bunch of tug/barge traffic!! :( But the tugs and barges are EXEMPT from Manatee zones regulations!
Dean

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

110 boats running hard, three dead manatees.................I don't think we need CSI on this one because I did see 3 sailboats out there and they must have hit them!

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Well 2 more were just added back.



Baby, mom manatee back in swim

By JOHN TORRES
FLORIDA TODAY
Enlarge this image

Mother released. A 1,500-pound manatee nicknamed "Cyclone" is released into the Indian River in Titusville. Michael R. Brown, FLORIDA TODAY



WEB EXTRAS

Manatee release
Manatees released in Titusville








TITUSVILLE, Fla. -- After 10 months of lounging and rolling in a SeaWorld swimming pool, a 3-year-old manatee nicknamed "Twister" wasn't quite sure what to do when he was released into the waters of Parrish Park in Titusville.

The 790-pound "baby" stayed 10 feet off shore swimming in and out of dangerous boat ramps. That is, until his mother -- a 1,500-pound manatee nicknamed "Cyclone" -- came to retrieve her calf.

Both manatees were released this morning in a joint effort between SeaWorld's Animal Rescue Team and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was the second time rescue workers have released "Cyclone" back into the waters.

"This is the best part of the job, watching them swim off where they are supposed to be," said Wayne Grinder, senior animal care specialist for SeaWorld. "We really fattened them up with tons of romaine lettuce. Now they'll have to do a little work for their food."

Ed Neugebauer, supervisor of animal care at SeaWorld Orlando, said great care was taken to make sure the mother and calf maintained their bond. They were even positioned so that they were facing each other and making eye contact during the 45-minute drive from Orlando.

"These are the waters they came from," he said moments after the pair swam away. "They're very familiar with this area and will do just fine. It's a very rewarding cycle."

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

That's not too good.

Sorry to hear that.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

The Thursday they are talking about is today, 5-6 days after the runs.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

they had been dead a while ... They were found North of the Arlington Road Boat Ramp ... but that doesn't really mean anything ....one was almost Severed in Half ... one had severe Laserations and one was not too bad ....m

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Good question, no one really knows, BUT the $MC has convienced the WORLD that Manatees are the brink of exstinction! :mad: And yes, it is sad that 3 Manatees were found dead, BUT once again, NO recreational boat is going nearly slice a Manatee in half. It's the damn tugs and barges that are hitting Manatees!
Dean

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Just think how many dead fish ya see floating in the water when you are running.I guess a manatee floats when it die's?

I hope the Peta manatee luvers dont read this site :(

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Of course, it is "sensationalized" by stating "speeding" boats. I would expect a propellor is going to do as much damage when it strikes flesh, whether it is spinning slow or fast. Perhaps some of the "investigators" could experiment by sticking their heads into spinning props, at different RPM's, and compare the results.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Too Funny!!!!!!! :evilb:

I'll supply the spinning prop!

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Sounds funny but you may not be too far off.
Recent science has proven that manatees can detect a speeding boat from up to two miles away. They can't hear a slow moving boat until it's literally on top of them. My local FFWC guy has told me that most deaths are caused by blunt trauma and not prop damage. So imagine these huge sailbote keels silently slicing through the water. Doesn't sound implausible to me. Hmmmmm.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I have fished in Florida for the last 12 years and have talked at length with the different captains about the Manatee issues. There were many different statements about what is happening to them now and how the are being killed by different boats but there is only one statement about how the manatee numbers got so low in the first place.

So what caused the plight of the manatee at the beginning of the last century? In the words of an anonymous captain:
















"They are SLOW, DUMB and DELICIOUS!!!!!!!"




I think that sums it up.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

i say this is a good start....

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

If they were bound, blindfolded, and killed "execution-style" ( single shot behind the ear ), I had NOTHING to do with it .

They should IMMEDIATELY be cremated . . .

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I dont want to sound like an uncaring soul but come on these things are natures D student, They are dumber than a bag of crap. They dookie their way into small coves and eat seagrass. After their big fat butts eat all the sea grass in that cove they dont migrate to find more so they end up starving waiting for the sea grass to regenerate.
I feel bad seeing the prop marks on them but what was said was correct, you would see a skeg line right up their back if a stern drive or outboard was the culprit.
Oh and they are so brilliant that when they see that lovely spinning prop coming in their direction they sort of have a thought process of "durrrrrrr what uhhhh ummm is that durrrrrrrrrrr" and sort of swim INTO it. Ever think the thought process of natures D student is part of the problem? Most fish and animals or sea life get scared of those stainless steel cleaver props, not" ohhh george lets swim over here and see what CHOP CHOP CHOP oh crap thats going to leave a mark george"

Oh and my friend RChevelle71 says they taste like chicken
LOL
J

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I wouldn't put it past the SMC guys to go out and deliberately run over a couple manatees after a poker run, just to try to get them back on the endangered list, because as most of us know, they don't give a damn about the animal, they don't want powerboats interupting their serene lifestyle living on the water. If they didn't like hearing boats, they should have moved to the desert. :rolleyes:

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I've been boating in Florida since 1972, and I've seen a total of ONE dead manatee. A sheriff boat was towing it, and it was in a no wake zone it was hit in. I don't know about all your boats, but mine draws much less water on a plane. Like I said, it ain't about the animals. I have absolutely nothing against manatees, and I hate to hear of them dying, but it's just a fact of life, and I know damn well that idle zones aren't making any difference.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I don't know, but Dean may remember this. One cold day this winter, they counted 182 manatees in Blue Springs alone, and it ain't that big of a spring. I'm sure half the manatees in existence weren't all there. :rolleyes: Besides, how could they have made it to that spring, because there is a lot of non idle speed north of that spring.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

It just seems a fact of life that Performance cars, boats, motorcycles just get the blame for everything even if they have nothing to do with the current situation.
Just a bad rap all around and allienation from the norm.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Does anyone know the whereabouts of OJ Simpson??????

:D :evilb: :drink: :evilb:

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

That made me bust out laughing! :D

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Here's what the $MC had to say about the recent Manatee Downlisting by the FFWCC! Man, they are PANICKING about losing their jobs! :evilb:

This is straight from there website!


Commission Ignores Public Outcry and
Downlists Manatees in Florida
For more information please contact:



Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club, 850-570-1373

Laurie MacDonald, Defenders of Wildlife, 727-823-3888

Martha Collins, attorney for the groups, 727-643-7746



For Immediate Release: June 8, 2006

On June 7, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its regular quarterly meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida, ignored public outcry and unanimously voted to downlist manatees from “Endangered” status to “Threatened” over the objections of numerous scientists and manatee advocates. Seventeen conservation, animal welfare, and public interest groups from Florida and around the nation have filed a legal petition with the FWC, urging the state to revise its imperiled species classification system and also asking the agency to delay any species’ reclassifications, like the manatee’s, that recommended a lesser status of imperilment.

The action of the FWC may prevent the actual recovery of the manatee population and the conservation community fears that the same fate may await other at-risk species in Florida like the northern right whale, Florida panther, and Florida black bear.


The $MC can kiss my a$$, they are more worried about their cushy jobs going away, then they are about the Manatee!
Dean

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Where do they come up with this sht? Everyone I talk to is fed up and sick and tired of hearing about manatees. They're more worried about their homes, their cities and their rights to the water, not the goddamned manatee.

That's some shtty journalism right there:
- "public outcry" [what about the other side - public rejoice]
- "the objections of numerous scientists and manatee advocates." [no sht, of course advocates are pissed - what about human advocates rejoicing]

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Let's face it.

Idle zones, seatbelt laws, HOV lanes,...all revenue generators. The Man doesn't give a fiddler's fukk about us...just our money.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Let's see: Manatee, as in "West Indian Manatee"? To me, this indicates the the manatee is not native to this country's waterways. Why then is it not treated in the same manner as any other pest species that has infested other bodies of water? Also, since the species is "native" to the West Indies, why not deport them, as they should, like any other "illegal" aliens that abuse the resources of the taxpayer.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

It's a fat bastard that provides more fat lazy bastards a means of money.....kinda like the gubment.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Dean Dean Dean....how MANY times must I tell you that confusing things with the FACTS does nothing to support a hidden agenda. I think it is time you take the following college courses:

Liberal Agendas and the media 101

How to manipulate public opinion with completely false and fabricated data 201

If you are not as successful as you want to be, how to make everyone else's life miserable 301.

Perhaps then you will have a heightened level of understanding as do these self righteous liberals.

:D :eek: :drink:

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I have a fairly simple question....if you fit a manatee with an outdrive or outboard, hard enough to inflict the damage supposedly done, would you not sustain SIGNIFICANT damage to the boat, drive and prop? This alone should raise significant doubt as to the "club's" claims. Hey POWERBOAT MAG! Why not right an article on why the SMC should heralded as the savior of the sea!? You guys in Cali. are just nuts as these freaks in Florida! NIT WITS! :mad: :mad:

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Doesn't the timing indicate a set-up???

First a report downgrading the manatees...

THEN shortly after three are "discoverd " injured/killed/dead???

Looks phony to me...

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I'm sure there were 3 dead manatees but would of normally been ignored had they not been upgraded to "threatened". A few months back, the Orlando Sentinel ran a front page Sunday story about a bunch of manatees that were found dead. This was a day or two after they started talking "upgrading". Manatees die everyday but the media would have one think that they only die when "certain things" happen.
I have a journalist in the family (in-law) and they go looking for the "flavor of the month" stories along with trying twist stuff around to fit their point of view. I've watched this person go into interview mode and they'll "attack" the person when they feel that they don't share the same viewpoint......................Fukbagz they are :mad: :mad:

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Ya, there's a certain suspicious element to all of this - and not just the timing, but the fanfare as well.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

Shane,
EXACTLY!! If you were to hit an adult Manatee @ speed in your skater, I would hate to think what would happen to the people on your boat, (It would be like hitting a floating log/pylon, can you say EJECTION Seat! :eek: ) or your boat itself. Why don't we hear more about people hitting manatees and the resulting damage to people and their boats? :rolleyes:
Why, you ask, BECAUSE Manatees are being hit by boats that DON"T EVEN FEEL them being struck!
Dean
Dean

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

First .... actually other than the news about finding the corps I have not heard anymore news ...they did say they would Autopsy em.

Second, Dean has a point ...Has anyone ever experienced of known someone that hit one ? I don't know about ejection but would think you would know it ...I would like to know ...Maybe should do a study and Smack a few for Science... :rolleyes:

We live on Dr's Lake ( Swimming Pen) and see em all the time during the Summer Months ..We enjoy them ..they love Fresh water from a hose or cabbage ....both being against the law ... :rolleyes: My biggest complaint is the no wake at the Dr's inlet Bridge ....During winter months it should be lifted ... ads 10-15 minutes travel time plus waisted fuel ...

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

That's what I was saying.

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

If those activists could get run over as easily we'd have something. :rolleyes:

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

What time is the Barb-Q?

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

I can't come to the BBQ. My doc just told me my tryglisirides number is 436, and I have to refrain from fatty food. Besides, I can always find fresher roadkill around here. I heard armadillos are lean meat, they are also known as possum on the half shell.

My dogs caught one in my yard last week, but there wasn't much left to eat. :(

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

When you post stuff like that you should always post the pic of the pig in the pick up truck Joe!!! :D

Re: 3 Manatees Found Dead In St. Johns ....
 

A letter from Cpat. Tom Mcgill of CFFW in the local rag newspaper this morning! :D


Downlisting manatees was based on science

A cartoon by FLORIDA TODAY's Jeff Parker's showing two manatees talking about being reclassified to a threatened species, down from endangered, does a disservice to the scientists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which studied the issue.

The FWC scientists evaluated all the data regarding the status of the manatee species and concluded, several years ago, the manatee should be downlisted.

Parker shows his bias and lack of understanding of what is behind the downlisting.

He only parrots the misinformation espoused by the Save the Manatee Club in his attempt to cover the subject in a cartoon.

Why doesn't Parker address the alligator, which at one time, like the manatee, was listed as endangered and now is numerous?

Perhaps recent attacks on humans will provide him a topic to exploit.

Parker fits well in FLORIDA TODAY's stable of biased and uninformed op-ed page people.

Tom McGill
Merritt Island