This problem hit home for me last Wednesday. My wife, granddaughter, and I were on the dock that morning watching the boats come in, when a very large Manatee slowly swam by the dock just a few feet away. He surfaced just as he got near the pier so we got a very good look at him. It was thrilling for my granddaughter to see her first Manatee in the wild. As for my wife and I, we see them at Keaton all the time.
That afternoon after supper we went back to the pier to enjoy the evening breeze and "boat watch." As we sat there the Manatee we saw that morning came swimming by, heading out the channel. Sadly he had a huge fresh gash cut across his back, made I suppose from a propeller. The cut looked very nasty, but he still seemed to be swimming o:k.
I have called the FFW a number of times in the past about making that area a Manatee Caution Area, but they just don't seem to be interested. They just tell me they will look into it.
We can help this situation if we come off pad before we get to the end of the pier and idle the last part of the channel before the canal. Unfortunately when I've tried to talk to some of the locals about it, I get a don't care attitude.
I'm not some big animal lover, but I do love my grandchildren and love to see the excitement on their faces when one of these great animals swim by just feet from them. Please do your best to encourage everyone you know who fishes Keaton Beach to slow down and watch for the Manatees.
I'm going to get down off my soap box now, cause "that's all I got to say bout that."
Yall sure Heath is not wearing a wig now?
