Take a Walk on the Wildlife Side

Longboat Key may be little in size but we are huge in fish and wildlife. My husband and I were taking our boat out the other day to do some off shore fishing. When we got to the boat dock two manatees were under our boat. We had to wait for them to swim away before we could lower the boat lift. It looked like a mama and her baby. They were absolutely precious. We see manatee back in Harris Bayou by our boat quite often. Once we got under way into Longboat Pass, on the North end of the Island, we saw a stingray come flying out of the water. It must have come at least 4 feet out of the water and sored through the air for a distance of at least six to eight feet. It was a fairly big Stingray. We came to the conclusion that something must have been chasing it. We were just guessing of course. This was the very first time either of us had witnessed something like this. The water was like glass that day and very clear. We made our way through the pass and beyond the channel and then stopped the boat. We thought that we might try to catch some bait fish before continuing out to deeper water. Before we knew it, a leopard ray serenely swam under our boat. It was about 8 feet under us, but we could see it clear as day. It was huge, almost six feet across. It was supremely beautiful.
Once we had a few bait fish and one very healthy-looking crab we started out again for deeper water. On our way we came across a pod of dolphins. We stopped the boat and watched them for a bit. They were about 30 yards off our starboard side. It was already afternoon at this point so we thought we had best be on our way. As soon as we started the boat engine the dolphins headed toward us. As we propelled forward the dolphins gave chase. They were really having some fun with us. There were around four or five of them total. They were keeping stride with the boat and leaping out of the water next to us. Then they started diving under the boat and coming back up on the other side, slip streaming in the wake of the boat. They would even get in front of the boat like they knew where we were going and leading us there. Watching them was literally the most fun I’d had in a while. The water was so clear we could see everything they were doing. I wish everyone a chance to see this in their life, as it truly is a wonder.
We finally reached our destination. The dolphins had lost interest in us a while back. Now it was just the two of us again. We were in water about one hundred and three feet in depth. We baited our hooks and put our lines in the water. I got a nibble right away and caught a nice size Grouper. We did see a shark, but that was all for the rest of the day. It was very strange. On other days we would at least see schools of mackerel and barracuda. However, that day the Gulf might as well have been empty.
My husband is an avid fresh water fisherman. He can catch bass and trout like there is no tomorrow. However, we have figured out that apparently there is a big learning curve when it comes to salt water fishing. Growing up spending summers on Longboat Key my husband watched his father in the water, fishing off the beach for hours. His fishing was bountiful, catching whiting big enough to keep and feed everyone for dinner. He made it look so easy. Maybe the waters have changed? Maybe there are not as many fish in the area as their used to be? I did hear someone saying something about the seagrass being disturbed. Maybe that is the issue? Surely our learning curve has not lasted all these years. That would be an extremely long curve. Before we moved here my husband told me that I would only have to buy vegetables and bread at the grocery store because he would catch enough fish for us to eat. I am really glad I did not hold him to that. Otherwise, we would both be vegetarians by now. All that being said, we are not losing faith. The struggle is real, but we will keep up the struggle until we finally master the art of saltwater fishing.
Other than the evasive fish, we have experienced so many other beautiful forms of wildlife. I volunteer for Save Our Seabirds. I didn’t realize just how many different types of birds there are until I started volunteering there, not to mention the fact that saving seabirds is a very rewarding task. Note to self, remember when jumping out of the boat to save a pelican, jump away from the boat. That was a rather painful lesson to learn. We also can’t forget about our gorgeous Village peacocks who strut their feathers up and down the streets on the North End of Longboat. Also, I have to give props to the American Bald Eagle who spends day after day high up in the Australian Pine that overlooks my car. With the exception of diving into the bay every so often to catch a fish, he is a great guard bird. No one has ever messed with my car. Oh, and we are not even going to talk about the lizards, so, so, so many lizards! I also highly recommend visiting Mote Marine Aquarium. It is a wonderful aquarium that does so much for our community and environment. Last, but not least, we must mention our precious sea turtles. If you see sticks with orange tape around them on the beach, please don’t go near them. It is turtle season and those are turtle nests that must not be disturbed. It is so important to leave them be that it’s the law. The reward for protecting them is plentiful, as they keep returning year after year.