‘Tis the season to be Jolly!
We are full swing in our holiday season, and soon we will have a whole New Year for new beginnings. This month we have had some great adventures on the water with all of our lucky visitors going on Manatee tours. King’s Bay has crystal clear water that provides a great opportunity to see healthy ecosystems full of fish, turtles, manatees and birds. We are also seeing lots of floating eelgrass, as it slowly disappears from the bottom due to the natural shed cycle and our manatees eating their way into the springs!
As new manatee viewers arrive we get many questions about our floating eelgrass and ecological changes we have seen due to the new vegetation. Frequently our “in water guides” will witness first-hand how things change on a daily basis. They are always our first eyes on the scene for manatee tours, which means they are very involved in the Bays ecological process. They get to see things that many of the locals don’t always see. Visitors are curious about how our river system is unique compared to the rest of Florida’s waterways, and our guides can promote Kings Bay’s uniqueness with real life experiences. .
On a daily basis people may ask on manatee tours “What kind of changes have we significantly witnessed with the restoration project?”or “What is their favorite part about being in the water all the time?” and some of our guides have the perfect answers.
One of Crystal River Watersports guides Don Markham has answered the first question with “the water clarity has greatly improved and the manatees have a much more abundant food source” which goes to show that the restoration project is truly helping our freshwater hydrology systems. Another guide from River Ventures, Tricia Black says “the change that has taken place in Kings Bay Restoration went from silty bottom, cloudy water during Manatee Tours to lush beautiful abundant green grass, super clear water and crystal clear viewings of our beloved manatees!” and it has even helped satisfy manatees throughout the summer.
Once in awhile Save Crystal River will get comments from in water guides about parts of the river that are clearly healthier and much easier to work in. Misty Kelly from Plantation Inn has stated, “the personal changes I have witnessed are more water clarity, marine life, and oxygen levels are exploding. Which is all [better] for our environment,” she has also mentioned that she thinks this restoration project will continue to progress as it has already made a huge difference in the past 3 years. Ashley Cannon is another guide from Explorida, who is in the water full time. She has commented to many guests and myself that her ”favorite part about being an in water guide is inspiring people to love and respect wildlife, while providing a 5 star (once in a lifetime) experience” and she definitely gets that opportunity with our clean hydrological environment.
I think it is safe to say that most of the local “in water guides” are thrilled about this years progress in eelgrass planting and dredging. As we come into the new year it is very important to reflect on the significance of our efforts to clean up our waterways, and how it has affected the whole community. Save Crystal River plans on continuing our Lyngbya Battle for years to come.
We have been so blessed to have such good luck with the restoration project in 2019!
