The greatest threat to our planet is the thought that someone else will save it.
This was the mindset of a few dedicated citizens and business professionals on the Nature Coast who decided enough was enough!! Concerned for the health of a major Eco System in Citrus County, this group of concerned citizens joined forces and made a change that the whole world needs to be informed of!
They called themselves “Save Crystal River.” Short, sweet, and straight to the point. Their goal is to save Crystal River, and that is exactly what they are doing. They set their sights on Kings Bay, aka the Crystal River National Wildlife refuge. It was plagued with an invasive algae that choked out all the healthy vegetation and left the bay desolate of marine life.
Aquatic vegetation, specifically eelgrass, is extremely important to the health of our ecosystem.
Where eelgrass grows, it filters the water to help with its clarity. In addition to filtering the water, eelgrass beds carpet the sandy bottom and act as a stabilizer holding loose particles in place too! Not only are they are a critical factor to the clarity of the water, but even more important to the marine life that rely on these eelgrass beds to survive. In healthy eelgrass meadows you will see a plethora of marine life thriving! From smaller fish to bigger fish and dolphins, from small crustaceans to manatees! How do we know this, you ask?! Well, it is because we have seen it with our own eyes!!
As locals to the area, and owners of Explorida Adventure Center, we have operated tours in Kings bay over the last 10 years. We have seen, first hand, the impact that the Kings Bay Restoration project has made in our area. For the duration of Save Crystal River’s restoration project, we have operated manatee tours daily. Although manatee season runs from the middle of November to the end of March, we have always had a resident population of manatee in Kings Bay year round and have swam in these waters with our customers daily.
Years ago, we would always suggest taking a manatee swim tour during manatee season.
In the past, this was when manatee would actually be visible beneath the surface of the water. During the summer months, we would swim in dark dirty water. The bottom was algae ridden and just plain muck… YUCK! Manatee tours in the summer months were more of a safari due to the limited number of animals in Kings Bay, and there were often times that we didn’t find a single manatee!! Talk about disappointing!! But there was hope!!
We didn’t know it yet, but this was all about to change!!
Since Save Crystal River began, the tables have turned!!
The summer months give us some of the BEST manatee tour conditions that we experience all year!! When the vegetation is in full bloom it is breathtaking. The bottom is covered with full lush eelgrass beds and the water clarity is at its absolute best!
When we snorkel with the manatees in the summer, we get lost in the grass beds counting the different species of fish big and small, and even blue crabs and turtles too! It’s truly a spectacular sight. Our summer population of manatee over the years has gotten larger and healthier. We now see more manatee in the summer than we ever have, and it is mainly because they have a fully stocked “all you can eat buffet” that they can graze at their leisure.
Not to mention, we can actually SEE them. They are thriving in the areas that are most pristine which is not only good for our customers but for them as well, as they can be easily be spotted and avoided by boaters! Win Win!
The Kings bay restoration project has done so much for the health of our ecosystem, industry and our community. Although there were many skeptics, Crystal River has been saved and this project serves as a prime example that change can be made through the hard work of a few dedicated individuals!! With the depletion of eelgrass in Florida, and so many have been given hope for a better tomorrow…. thanks to Save Crystal River!
Guest Blog written by: Kim Altman, Explorida Adventure Center
Photos provided by: Explorida Adventure Center; Save Crystal River
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