Florida's Blue Spring now closed for Winter

[L Roebuck]

State wields heavy hand at Blue Spring

Here is an example of how far manatee worship has gone:

The state used to impose rules on human behavior because there were too few manatees.

Now the state has banned humans from the waters of Blue Spring for the winter because there are too many manatees.

No wading. No swimming. No snorkeling. No scuba diving in the spring's deep caverns.

All because the nearly half-mile run from the spring boil to the St. Johns River is overrun with sea cows.

It was not always this way.

For years, swimmers and manatees at Blue Spring State Park got along just fine.

Full Article

[Brian Roebuck]

That is a strange article. Manatees are pretty cool animals though and I guess they deserve a decent place to hang out protected from disturbances and sharp propellor blades. They do spook easily it seems. Years ago Lynn and I snorkled around some of them and we were warned against getting too close by the tour guides. It is impressive to be in the water with such large animals though. I hope they can be protected and there number increase without too much harm to local swimming areas and such. Surely a compromise can be found somewhere.

[Azurerana]

Surely the scuba divers aren't using scooters around the manatees?

I find it interesting that just "being around" endangered species is considered harassment.
Not the first time I've encountered this attitude, however. Now, firing a shotgun into a colony of bats as some of the more primitive Ozarkers are wont to do-- that's harassment!