Request for manatee sightings on Ichetucknee

With our changing climate and environmental conditions, the ranges and seasonal movements of some of our wild animal species are changing. Those changes are bringing new challenges to the efforts to protect those species.

A case in point is the Florida manatee. In recent years, their range seems to have slowly pushed a bit northward. In North Florida's Ichetucknee River, where they were rarely seen twenty years ago, sightings have become common--especially during high water events.

In an effort to better understand this change in the manatees usage of Ichetucknee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission  and the Ichetucknee Alliance have asked me to document manatee sightings on Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers. This project will rely on reports from people who live near these rivers or use them regularly--good old fashioned word-of mouth.

For this project, I’ll be looking for two kinds of sightings; past manatee sightings  people have made on Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, and any future manatee sightings on these two rivers.

For past observations, I’m interested in ANY sightings people have made in the past, regardless of how long ago it was. This will help us determine how manatee usage of these rivers has changed over the decades. Please include any details you can recall, like how many manatees you saw , when you saw them (even something general like "early '60's" would help) and the general location on the river. If you happen to recall anything about river conditions (high, low or average) at the time of your sighting, that would be helpful as well.

For future sightings of manatees in Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, I’m hoping to get the date, number of manatees, and the general location on the river. It would also help if you notice any distinguishing physical features (scars, cuts, etc.) on the animal’s bodies. Photos would be great.




Manatees near the wild rice marshes of Ichetucknee

This will be an ongoing study, so even if you spot a manatee(s) in Ichetucknee a year or two from now, I'd still like to hear about it.

The best way to report manatee sightings is to e-mail me at riverguide2000@yahoo.com. If you prefer to call with your information, we can be reached at (386) 454-0611. Otherwise, if you're passing though High Springs and are feeling neighborly, please stop in and visit us at Adventure Outpost and tell us about your sighting in person. We are now located in the center of town, (beside the big parking lot across from Great Outdoors restaurant).

I would appreciate if you would help spread the word to anyone you know who lives on one of these two rivers or uses them regularly.

The information I gather will be posted in some public forum (including this blog), but I’m not sure where, yet. For updates or information about the study, call Adventure Outpost sometime after March and we’ll be able to tell you where it’s posted.

Thank you, in advance, for any help you can provide for this project. I look forward to hearing from you.

Lars Andersen

Adventure Outpost  LLC
30 NW 1st Ave

High Springs, FL   32643

www.adventureoutpost.net

(386) 454-0611