Boater’s Tips: IDLE SPEED Speed Restrictions ◆ Stay clear of the main ship channel when large Vessel speeds are regulated for many reasons ships are approaching. Some vessels entering including safety concerns in high traffic areas, and Tampa Bay are as long as two football fields, to help ensure the safety of swimmers, boaters, or carry hazardous materials, and are very NO WAKE manatees. Please refer to motor exclusion zones difficult to maneuver. Many clear the 45-foot and shallow water cautionary zones on the map. deep shipping channel by as little as 4 feet, and may require a mile or more to stop. Pilot’s SLOW SPEED Idle Speed: A vessel operating in an “Idle vision may be restricted by the large size of the Speed No Wake” zone must slow to the minimum vessel they are captaining. It is up to the small speed that will maintain steerage control. An boat operator to keep safely out of the way of example of this is to put a car’s automatic trans- these ships. MINIMUM WAKE mission in “Drive” and allow it to idle forward. ◆ Monitor Channel 16 for distress calling and Slow Speed: A vessel operating in a “Slow safety, ship-to-ship and ship-to-coast contact. Speed Minimum Wake” zone must come fully off RESUME NORMAL plane and completely settle in the water. The ves- ◆ Be sure your boat is visible at night and in poor sel’s wake must not be excessive, so as not to create weather conditions. a hazard to other vessels. “Slow Speed Minimum ◆ The main shipping channels are shown on Wake” and “Slow Speed” mean the same thing and the map. SAFE OPERATION require the same operation. The terms are used interchangeably. Photo by ◆ Keep your boat in good repair with all neces- Over 300 pairs of Roseate Spoonbills, Florida’s native pink wader, nest each spring at the Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary. sary safety equipment on board. Resume Normal Safe Operation: Claudine When exiting an “Idle Speed” or “Slow Speed” Laabs. ◆ Watch for changing weather conditions. NO ENTRY zone, you will see a sign that states “Resume Hillsborough Bay ranks as one of the most ◆ Know your boat’s limitations and respect them. BEYOND Normal Safe Operation.” At this point you may Areas of important areas in the United States due to its Hillsborough Bay THIS POINT increase your speed to one that is appropriate for biological significance. The City of Tampa and ◆ Jet skis are boats, too, and must follow all boat- the sea and vessel traffic conditions. Special the Port of Tampa are both located along the is an Estuary ing regulations. shore of Hillsborough Bay, and it receives water No Entry: Boats, people and pets prohibited. Like all estuaries, Hillsborough Bay is a place ◆ The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Power from several important tributaries, including Interest the Hillsborough River, the Palm River/Tampa where freshwater and saltwater mix. This Squadrons offer free boat inspections and The areas Shallow Water Danger: Bypass Canal, Delaney Creek, Archie Creek, the dynamic system is impacted by constantly boating safety classes. These are interest- SHALLOW behind the signs are very shallow and have healthy Alafia River, Bullfrog Creek, and Newman Branch, changing tides, water levels, salinity, and water ing, fun, and informative. See Resources for seagrass beds. At high tide, proceed with caution among others. Key biological sites and other areas temperatures. Special adaptations of the plants information. DANGER to avoid prop scarring and damage to seagrass. At of special interest are outlined below. Audubon and animals that live here help them survive WATER low tide, only poling or paddling across this area is ◆ Be careful to prevent spills during fueling and Florida includes Hillsborough Bay in its list of 100 in this demanding ecosystem. More than 95% appropriate, to protect seagrasses. when adding oil. Important Bird Areas of Florida. of Florida’s recreationally and commercially important fish, crustaceans, and shellfish live Safety and Security: Photo of prop- Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary part of their life cycles in estuaries, including scar, right, by Hillsborough Bay. The shallow waters of the bay, The Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Task Seagrasses Carol Cassels. The Richard T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary its salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses pro- Force is asking boaters to stay well away from all islands (Bird Island to the east, Sunken Island Seagrasses are underwater flowering plants that vide places for young sealife to hide from larger commercial vessels and facilities in Tampa Bay, to the west) were created when the Alafia River use strong roots to anchor themselves to shal- predators. Estuaries, often called the “nurser- to increase public safety and reduce the threat channel was dredged in the late 1920s. Today, the low bay bottoms. Like land plants, seagrasses use ies of the sea,” are among the most productive of terrorist attacks. Also, a security zone extends Alafia Bank is a bird sanctuary, owned by Mosaic photosynthesis to make energy from sunlight. landscapes in the world. Rivers and streams drain around MacDill Air Force Base and certain areas Fertilizer LLC and managed by the Audubon Seagrasses provide critically important food and into Hillsborough Bay’s biologically productive in the Port. Please refer to the map. To report Society. Each year 10,000 to 18,000 pairs of 16 to habitat for many animals, including manatees, estuary, bringing nutrients and sediments that suspicious activities, call 911 or VHF Channel 16. 20 species of birds nest here. It is one of Florida’s turtles, seahorses, seatrout, redfish, tarpon, and foster growth of salt marsh plants, mangroves, For more information: 727/824-7531. largest bird colonies and one of the most diverse shrimp. Seagrasses trap sediment, cleaning the Tricolored Heron and seagrasses. These plants drop their leaves, in the continental U.S. One third of Florida’s water, and dampen waves near populations in Florida which become food for billions of microscopic Roseate Spoonbills nest on the Alafia Bank. Large shorelines, reducing erosion. are declining due to animals, beginning the food web. numbers of migrating and wintering birds rest Please note motor Caution: destruction of fresh- and feed on the Alafia Bank shores and sandbars. exclusion zones and shal- Seagrass Beds! water wetlands where The sanctuary is posted “No Trespassing” and no low caution areas on the they feed. Seagrass beds are public access is allowed to protect nesting, rest- map. Most seagrass beds shown on the map. Photo by Rich Paul. ing, and foraging birds from disturbance. occur in waters 3–6 feet Boaters passing over deep, and at low tides, they seagrass beds should Tampa Port Authority Spoil Islands 2D and 3D are very vulnerable to “prop- be careful to prevent Tampa Port Authority Spoil Islands 2D and 3D are large man-made spoil scars”—damage caused by boat prop-scarring. If islands in Hillsborough Bay where dredged material removed from the propellers plowing deep furrows through the you’re near a seagrass shipping channels is stored. These islands provide critical nesting sites for grass that can take years to recover. bed, reduce speed and ground-nesting birds, including American Oystercatchers, Laughing Gulls, tip your motor up as ◆ Reduce bay pollution. terns and Black Skimmers. The Wildlife Commission lists these spoil islands Seagrasses far as possible. If you among Florida’s most important sites for colonial beach-nesting birds. Both ◆ Don’t overfertilize run aground, stop the rely on clean islands are posted “No Trespassing” for port security and bird protection. Volunteers work to create an oyster reef at lawns. motor, tip it all the The Port of Tampa is Florida’s largest port, and one of the nation’s Whiskey Stump Key. Photo by Doug Paul. waters. You way up, and walk, pole ◆ Request the Tampa largest ports, each year moving 50 million tons of products valued at or push your boat to can help. Bay Estuary Program’s over $1 billion. Cruise ships serve over 600,000 passengers each year. The deeper water. “Tampa Bay Repair Kit.” Tampa Port Authority manages the submerged lands in Hillsborough Bay, The Richard T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary including several “Aquatic Resource Protection Areas” (ARPAs) where is listed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration groves along the closed gypsum stack Redwing site as the Schultz Restoration important natural features are protected by special management. ARPAs in Conservation Commission as the most important Numerous habitat restoration projects shoreline, north of the Alafia River. ◆ Park, with wetlands and estuary Hillsborough Bay include McKay Bay, the Bullfrog Creek ARPA, Gadsden wading bird colony in Florida. have been undertaken around Hillsbor Mosaic Fertilizer LLC and the Water habitat. ◆ The Water Management Point, and Pendola Point. Photo by Rich Paul. ough Bay. These create marsh habitat, Management District restored wetland District’s Surface Water Improvement cleanse stormwater, restore upland shorelines along the Delaney Creek and Management Program and the Island 2D (to the north) is where about 10% of Florida’s population sites to healthy communities, and Popoff Canal. ◆ The Audubon Society County Park’s Resource Management of American Oystercatchers nest yearly. American Oystercatchers are improve wildlife and fisheries values. planted marshes and created nesting, Program are creating estuary habitat considered a “species of special concern,” with less than 400 pairs in the Mangrove and Salt Enhancement projects are on-going. roosting, and foraging habitats on the and wetlands on disturbed uplands at state. This large black-and-white sandpiper-like bird nests on the beach, just Some projects include: ◆ Tampa Port west end of Sunken Island. ◆ Tampa Port Apollo Beach, Simmons Park, and Wolf above the high tide line. Humans and dogs on the beach disturb nesting Marsh Wetlands Authority Mitigation Project—a large Authority Mitigation Project on the east Branch. ◆ The City of Tampa and the oystercatchers, causing mortality of eggs or chicks. Island 2D is posted “No marsh creation and upland habitat side of Spoil Island 2D, created a man- Department of Environmental Protection Trespassing” to protect nesting birds and for port security. The Tampa Bay area has lost more than 40% of management program on Pendola grove forest shoreline. ◆ The Southwest restored a landfill at McKay Bay Nature its original mangrove and salt-marsh acreage Point and a marsh creation project on Florida Water Management District’s Park as upland habitat. ◆ The Water Island 3D is an extremely important nesting site for ground-nesting due to shell harvest for roads, dredging, channel the 22nd Street Causeway. ◆ Mosaic Surface Water Improvement and Management District’s Surface Water Caspian Terns, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns and Black Skimmers. 3D is one deepening, and land-fill development. To partici- Fertilizer LLC, the Florida Department Management Program and the County Improvement and Management Program of the largest nesting sites for Laughing Gulls in Florida. Island 3D is posted pate in restoring salt marshes in Tampa Bay, call of Environmental Protection, and Water Park’s Resource Management Program, and the County Stormwater Team have “No Trespassing” to protect nesting birds and for port security. Tampa Bay Watch 727/867-8166. Management District created marsh with Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton created stormwater/habitat projects in and canals in the “South Parcel,” south Area, Inc. and Audubon restored the McKay Bay and Delaney Creek, and are MacDill Air Force Base, on the west side of Hillsborough Bay, has some of the Alafia River. ◆ Mosaic Fertilizer old Gardenville Landfill site as upland working on projects for Bullfrog Creek intact mangrove shoreline, winding tidal creeks, and marshes. Although off- LLC planted marsh grass and man- habitat and the north side of the old Port and the Alafia River. limits to the general public, the base hosts an open house and air show every April. Shallow waters to the south of MacDill protect important seagrass flats Red and manatees commonly occur here. Note the “Restricted Area.” mangroves Resources have The Kitchen is a small estuary on the east side of Hillsborough Bay. buttressing Excellent water quality, seagrass beds and mangrove shores and islands make prop roots. National Response Center Florida Fish and Wildlife Hillsborough County Sheriff’s it a popular fishing spot, an area of high biological diversity and productivity, Conservation Commission (FFWCC) Marine Unit To report hazardous materials, oil spills, and a valuable fish nursery. Thousands of birds use the Kitchen as a feeding Photo of any suspicious activities: 800/424-8802 To report oil, fuel, or hazardous materials Crime, boating problems, marine site, especially during winter low tides when shallow flats are exposed. oyster- U.S. Coast Guard spills: 800/320-0519. To report manatee, emergencies, safety issues, wake zones, bars and Search & rescue assistance: turtle, or dolphin injury or stranding: violations: 813/247-8629 Green Key & Whiskey Stump Key, Audubon Sanctuary islands in the mangroves 727/824-7506 800/636-0511. Wildlife law violations: Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation Kitchen, are important bird feeding sites. They are posted “No Trespassing” in the Tampa Marine Safety: 813/228-2191 888/404-3922. Regional offices: and Conservation Department year round. Kitchen by Boating Safety: www.uscg.boating.org 863/648-3200, www.myfwc.com Information on marine safety hazards & Ann Paul. McKay Bay, the northeast corner of Hillsborough Bay, provides extensive U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Florida Fish and Wildlife speed zones as well as land managed for Research Institute (FWRI) conservation purposes (note: most are mudflat, salt marsh, and mangrove habitats for birds and other wildlife. A Boating classes, boat inspections. This map is intended as a handy guide to some of the wonderful wildlife critical feeding and migratory stopover site, McKay Bay is among the out- are trees that thrive in the salty Find classes: http://cgaux.org/boatinged/ Information on research, protection, open to the public): 813/635-3500 and places of Hillsborough Bay. Whether you are fishing, picnicking, Mangroves conservation, or management of sailing or just plain enjoying the water, we hope you will use it to standing winter sites for shorebirds in the U.S. intertidal zones of sheltered tropical shores, class_finder/index.php Hillsborough County City-County increase your awareness and appreciation of the islands, wildlife, Florida’s fish and wildlife resources: Planning Commission islands, and estuaries. These trees’ special U.S. Power Squadrons shorelines and special places of the bay. The TECO Manatee Viewing Center, adjacent to Tampa Electric 727/896-8626 813/272-5940 adaptations, including salt-excreting leaves and Classes in seamanship, navigation, Company’s Big Bend plant in Apollo Beach, provides an opportunity to see roots that can block salt, allow them to live in Audubon Florida: Tampa Port Authority related subjects: 888/FOR-USPS manatees. In winter as the bay water cools, manatees converge at the power salty water where other plants cannot survive. Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Manages port facilities in Hillsborough NOAA Weather Service Broadcast plant’s warm water discharge. Over 300 manatees have been counted there National conservation organization, bird Bay and bay bottom and docks: Mangrove shorelines and forests are vital for 24-hour weather and marine forecast at once. A boardwalk, interpretive center and observation platform are open colony management: 813/623-6826 813/905-5045 or 800/741-2297 healthy coastal ecosystems. The fallen leaves and
Radio: 162.55 Kz/VHF November 1–April 30. TECO: 813/228-4289, www.manatee-TECO.com.
Web: fl.audubon.org or 24/7: 813/905-5044 branches provide nutrients for the intricate food Phone: 813/645-2506 ➤ Southwest Florida Water Management web of the estuary. Mangroves offer refuge and Web: www.srh.noaa.gov/tbw Marine Safety Office Tampa Terns nursery grounds for juvenile fish, crabs, shrimps, District, Surface Water Improvement Oil spills in Tampa Bay: 813/228-2189 Florida Department of and Management Program Royal and Sandwich Terns nest at and mollusks, plus nesting trees for wading birds, Environmental Protection Habitat restoration and water Tampa Bay Estuary Program only six colonies in the state, Brown Pelicans, and cormorants. Mangroves also Oil spill, environmental problems, improvement projects: 813/985-7481 Government partnership developing including Spoil Island 3D’s beach. diminish wave action, protecting shorelines from hazardous materials long-term master plan for bay restoration Resembling streamlined gulls, these erosion and storm damage. The International Environmental Protection Commission and management: Non-emergency: 813/744-6100 of Hillsborough County 727/893-2765 terns lay one egg. They take care of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has identified Emergency: 800/320-0519 Wetlands violations, water pollution, air Tampa Bay Watch this single chick until the next mangrove forests as one of the most threatened Environmental crimes: 850/414-9663 quality problems, solid waste violations: Stewardship program for Tampa Bay spring. Very rare Caspian and habitats worldwide, with widespread losses in 813/272-5960 restoration and protection, volunteer Gull-billed Terns also nest on Tampa Thailand, the Philippines, Ecuador, and Vietnam. effort coordination: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 727/867-8166 Port Authority Spoil Islands. Some of Hillsborough Bay’s shorelines and islands Non-emergency: 813/247-8200 Lowry Park Zoo still host healthy mangrove shorelines and forests. Emergency: 911 Manatee hospital and state center Photo by Rich Paul. for Florida species conservation and Salt marshes occur in the shoreline zone biodiversity: 813/935-8552 White Ibis ➤ between high and low tide water levels. Many of A white bird with black-tipped wings, bright Florida’s marine fish, shellfish, and crustaceans Florida Aquarium red legs, and a red bill which curves dis- spend the early part of their lives safely hiding Public education and enjoyment tinctly downward. About 10% of Florida’s from predators in the thick vegetation of the of Florida waters and wildlife: population of White Ibis nests in trees at the salt marsh nursery. The leaves of the salt marsh 813/273-4000 Richard T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary. grasses die each year, becoming detritus and the Save Our Seabirds The number of White Ibis in Florida has basis for the food web, feeding microscopic ani- Seabird rescue and rehabilitation: decreased 80% since the 1940s due to mals. The extensive root systems of salt marshes 941/388-3010 freshwater wetlands destruction. White Ibis can withstand storm surges and help protect Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is a state-listed “species of special concern.” uplands. Salt marsh plants can also trap nutri- Assistance with injured seabirds: Glossy Ibis, a dark greenish-bronze ibis, also ents, pollution, and sediments, keeping bay Design by Mariella Smith, InSightGraphicDesign.net 727/391-6211 nests at the Alafia Bank. Photo by Rebecca Field. waters cleaner. eople and dogs on nesting islands Caution: Manatee Zone! Birds of the Bay create big problems for nesting birds. If Manatees people and dogs land on the Alafia Bank Manatees are an endangered species, and the Pelicans, herons, egrets, spoonbills, gulls, terns and skimmers nest in large P The West Indian ➤ greatest threat to their survival is collisions with groups called “colonies.” They are among the most visible, beautiful, and or Islands 2D or 3D, they may cause the parent Manatee is a large, birds to leave their nests. Fish crows or other boats. Please note the manatee speed zones shown popular wildlife species in Florida. grayish brown aquatic on map. The breeding population of the Tampa Bay region totals 40,000–50,000 birds will eat unprotected eggs or young. Visitors mammal, with a tube- nesting pairs annually at more than 20 sites. This includes 25 species of may accidentally step on well-camouflaged eggs shaped body and a flat, Boaters should: colonial waterbirds, one of the largest and most diverse populations in Florida. in ground nests. In the summer sun, embryos in rounded tail. Its head,
the eggs and young birds overheat quickly, dying ◆ Be on the lookout for manatees, especially in
Up to half of these birds nest in Hillsborough Bay. often the only part shallow and coastal areas; watch for a line of ➤ in about 20 minutes if the parents cannot shade visible above water, “swirls” or “glassy” areas on the water, and them. Dogs running through a colony will cause has a blunt snout with Black chicks to flee, getting separated from their parents. backs, tails and snouts of manatees at the prominent nostrils and surface. Skimmer In the mix-up, other birds may injure a young bird a few coarse whiskers. Only 2,000 pairs of looking for its parent. A brief visit for boaters can Because they like shal- ◆ Wear polarized sunglasses so that you can see Black Skimmers, a destroy an entire year’s nesting effort of a whole beneath the water’s surface. low water and tend to Manatee individuals that spend a lot of time in state-listed “species of colony of birds. swim near the surface, special concern,” nest The Alafia Bank Sanctuary, Green Key, Whiskey salty estuary or Gulf waters sometimes grow bar- ◆ Stay within marked channels to avoid shallow most manatees in nacles on their hides. Photo by Rich Paul. areas where manatees feed and rest. in Florida; a nesting Stump Key and Tampa Port Authority’s Spoil Florida have been hit colony on Tampa Islands 2D and 3D are posted “No Trespassing” all by boat propellers and have many scars on their thick skin. Manatees are sus- ◆ Go slowly in shallow water and over seagrasses. Port Authority Spoil year round. ceptible to cold and may die if stranded in cold water in the winter. When bay Pole, paddle, or use a trolling motor. Island 3D usually water temperatures drop in the fall, manatees rely on the warm-water outfalls ◆ Recycle your trash and dispose of it in trash numbers about 300 Boaters can help. Please: from local power plants, such as the Tampa Electric Company plant at Big Royal, Sandwich, and Caspian terns nesting on cans, especially fishing line, nets, gear, ropes pairs. Skimmers nest ocated in the northeastern corner of Tampa Bay, with life-giving Bend. They leave these warm-water sites during the day to forage, and may be ◆ Comply with signs on nesting islands and the Alafia Bank, with the City of Tampa’s skyline and plastics, which can tangle around manatees on sandy beaches L nutrients pouring into it from strong river flows from the Hillsborough seen throughout the bay all year, especially in shallow water areas and near beaches, and stay off the land. in the background. This is one of three Caspian and injure them. Manatees can mistake floating just above the high tide line. These River, the Alafia River, Bullfrog Creek, and other streams, Hillsborough Bay is seagrass beds. Manatees are regularly found in Hillsborough Bay. They use Tern colonies in Florida, and one of only six Royal plastic for seagrass and eat it by mistake. colonies are very vulnerable to ◆ Never let dogs run on nesting colony islands. famous for its wildlife, including its bird population and the opportunities it the deepwater basins in the Kitchen and the Alafia “South Mouth” area. The and Sandwich tern colonies in the state. In most washout by high tides and storms. Birds regard dogs as serious predators and will offers fishermen. The bay is rich with nutrients, which foster millions of tiny Kitchen is the closest feeding site to Tampa Electric’s Big Bend power plant, ◆ It is illegal to feed or provide fresh water to years, these birds choose to nest on the Tampa Port Disturbance by humans and dogs abandon their nests. plants and animals, the beginnings of a vibrant food chain. Located next to the which hosts the biggest wintertime manatee population anywhere in Tampa manatees. Their natural diet is best. can force adults off nests leaving City of Tampa and its port facilities, portions of Hillsborough Bay are well known Authority Spoil Island 3D. ◆ Between April and August, gulls, terns and Bay at over 300 manatees. The seagrass flats south of Big Bend and MacDill eggs to cook on the hot sand— nationwide for hosting large populations of migrating and wintering birds, as well Photo by Betty Wargo. ◆ Report dead or injured manatees to the Florida skimmers may also nest on unmarked sites. If Air Force Base are other important feeding sites for manatees. Manatees seek another major cause of nest failure. as the fabulous bird colonies on the Richard T. Paul Alafia Bank Bird Sanctuary Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: you notice birds circling noisily over your head, out a combination of seagrass patches, quiet areas, and sites with deep “holes” and the Tampa Port Authority Spoil Islands 2D and 3D. Industrial facilities including the Mosaic Fertilizer plant in Riverview, two major for safe retreats where they can avoid boat collisions. 888/404-FWCC or 888/404-3922 you may be near a nesting colony. Leave quietly, Tampa Electric Company power plants (Bayside and Apollo Beach), phosphate, metal-recycling, chemical storage, and gasoline terminals, Photos: Black Skimmer, above, and enjoy the colony from a distance. ship maintenance operations, and large cruise ship terminals border the bay. Since the Clean Water Act of the 1970s, major efforts to filter (Mobile phone: FWC) by Jim Gray; Snowy Egret, ◆ Birds resting and feeding on sandbars and stormwater and reduce pollution entering Hillsborough Bay, and the completion PLEASE: Do not chase or approach* manatees; let left, by Charles Lee; American mudflats should not be disturbed. Migrating of the advanced wastewater treatment facility for the City of Tampa, have suc- these curious and friendly creatures come to you. Oystercatcher, below, by Jim Gray; birds depend on the Bay’s resources to provide a cessfully resulted in cleaner water. As a result, seagrass beds are again growing Sea Be gentle with these wild animals. oystercatcher eggs in the nest, below nourishing and restful stop-over. Disturbance of in portions of Hillsborough Bay (see map). Oysterbars along shorelines and in right, by Rich Paul. birds on sandbars can interfere with their the Kitchen, McKay Bay, and south of MacDill Air Force Bay also improve water Turtles
Snowy Egret ➤ quality by filter-feeding. Schools of fish are frequently noted, and the entire bay feeding behavior, reducing weight gain, the Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles remarkably suited to life at sea. Essentially Snowy Egrets use their ecosystem is recovering in health. Crabbers ply their trade, harvesting blue and endurance needed for long flights, and survival. unchanged for 110 million years, their hydrodynamic shapes and powerful front brightly colored yellow stone crabs. Restoration projects completed in Hillsborough Bay have created and flippers allow them to dive to great depths and swim long distances. Once male feet to aid in catching replanted mangrove and marsh grass shorelines. But the story of Hillsborough turtles reach the water as tiny hatchlings, they never return to shore. Females fish. Sometimes, they Bay is not completed yet. All of us need to dedicate ourselves to continue to pro- climb out onto Florida’s beaches three or four times in the summer to lay about
wade in shallow water tect this beautiful, vibrant, and life-filled Hillsborough Bay treasure. 100 eggs in sandy pits dug with their back flippers. After about two months and move the yellow ➤ toes like worms. Fish Horseshoe Crabs of incubation, 2-inch hatchlings emerge from the sand all at once, usually Shorebirds at night, and scramble frantically for the relative safety of the seawater. Sea attracted to the move- Horseshoe crabs aren’t really crabs. Surprisingly, Large numbers of shorebirds visit beaches, mudflats, and sandbars of turtles can remain underwater for hours while resting or sleeping; while active, ment are captured. they are related to spiders, scorpions, and ticks. Hillsborough Bay during migration and over the winter. Shorebirds are long- they typically surface several times each hour to breathe. Turtles have no teeth, Other times, they drag Our horseshoe crabs occur along the Atlantic and distance migrants that nest far north in Canada and sometimes even above the but crush, bite, and tear their food with powerful jaws. Data from stranding the yellow feet in water Gulf coasts as far south as Mexico. The blood of Arctic Circle. Shorebirds stop here to refuel for these trips. Key stopovers include records, aerial surveys, incidental catches, and other sources indicate that sea near schools of fish, horseshoe crabs uses a copper-containing mol- McKay Bay, the Alafia Bank, the Kitchen, exposed mudflats of Hillsborough Bay turtles are common inhabitants of Tampa Bay. Mortality factors include boat scaring them towards ecule to carry oxygen, so they are literally “blue American and other shorelines. Repeated disturbance of resting and feeding shorebirds may collisions (causing 25% of deaths), entanglement in fishing line and other line, their beaks. ➤ ➤ bloods.” Horseshoe crabs eat clams, worms, dead Oystercatcher Photo of shorebirds, above, by Patrick Leary. hinder their ability to successfully complete these incredible journeys, so please incidental catch in nets, and disease. Scientists believe that marine turtle popu- fish and algae. They have a 19-year life span and don’t flush these marathoners from their feeding and roosting areas. lations in the Tampa Bay area were once quite robust. But turtles were overhar- With fewer than 400 pairs in reach sexual maturity between 9–12 years. During Great Blue Heron vested for food, resulting in severe population losses by 1900. Florida, this is one of Florida’s spring high tides, females towing their mates swim Great Blue Herons, Florida’s largest rarest birds. A large black and white high onto sandy beaches to lay 2,000–30,000 eggs. heron, feeds its fast-growing young a are listed as “threatened” sandpiper-like bird with a giant Most horseshoe crabs don’t travel far in their life- Loggerheads Help protect variety of food items, including fish, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and can be red-orange bill, oystercatchers nest times, staying about four miles from the beaches turtles: frogs, lizards, snakes, crabs, shrimp, Laughing Gull found year-round in the Tampa Bay area. These in shallow scrapes just above the where they hatched. Migrating shorebirds such as insects, mice, rats, and even other In spring, Laughing Gulls nest on Tampa Port are among the largest sea turtles, weighing 275 ◆ Wear polarized flotsam line on beaches. American Red Knots, Dunlin, and Short-billed Dowitchers birds. They nest in trees. Oystercatchers are listed by the Authority Spoil Island 3D (5,000–10,000 nests, pounds with shells 3 feet long. Loggerheads have sunglasses to see ➤ depend on the energy-rich eggs of horseshoe crabs one of the largest colonies in the state). They form large, block-shaped heads. They eat clams, crabs, beneath waves, to Photo by Rich Paul. Wildlife Commission as a “species to power their long trips. of special concern.” large nesting colonies in dune grasses on islands, whelks, and other mollusks and animals. They nest avoid boat collisions and also nest on Passage, Egmont, and Shell Keys. with turtles. About 20% of Florida’s Horseshoe crab photo, above, by Dan Warner, on Gulf of Mexico beaches. oystercatchers nest in Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. are listed as ◆ Properly dispose Hillsborough Bay on Kemp’s Ridley Turtles endangered by the federal government and as one of trash, especially Tampa Port Authority Photo of spotted eagle ray, below, courtesy of of the twelve most endangered animals in the world plastics, fishing line, Spoil Islands 2D and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. by the International Union for the Conservation of balloons on strings, 3D, the Alafia Bank and Nature, with fewer than 1000 females. They nest in and other entangling
the Fishhook Spoil area Brown Pelican ➤ debris in trash cans.
American White Pelican ➤ Mexico but juvenile ridleys seek shelter year-round near Big Bend. An expert fisherman and one of Florida’s most in Tampa Bay. They eat mostly crabs and crusta- recognizable birds, the Brown Pelican dives power- Like a lot of snowbirds, White Pelicans spend the winter in the Tampa Bay area. ◆ Help keep ceans, finding them in shallow, muddy-bottomed fully into the water to scoop unwary fish into its The White Pelicans that winter in Florida nest near large lakes in North Dakota Hillsborough Bay waters. These small turtles are 2–21⁄2 feet long and Long-billed ➤ expandable pouched bill. 300–500 pairs nest every and Minnesota. They are often seen in large groups in shallow salt-water areas. water clean by weigh only 85–100 pounds. Curlew spring in trees on the Alafia Bank. Chicks hatch out They feed by herding fish and scooping them up, not by diving. disposing of yard Fairly rare winter naked, with gray skin, but quickly grow white downy White Pelicans by Claudine Laabs. Diamondback Terrapins are the only waste properly, don’t visitors to Florida, these feathers. They reach sexual maturity at three or four brackish water turtles in the eastern U.S., ranging overfertilize lawns large shorebirds boast years old. from New England to Mexico. This small (8–10 and plants, and don’t Brown Pelican by James Hancock. Dolphins an extraordinarily long, inch shell length as adults) well-camouflaged, pour oil or other Bottle-nosed dolphins are large, intelligent, active aquatic mammals with poisons into gutters down-curved beak, Mullet sleek, gray-brown bodies, a large dorsal fin, and a distinctive, rounded snout. yellow-headed reptile lives in estuaries and shal- useful for probing deep into sand and low saltwater marshes. Terrapins eat crabs, snails or waterways leading Mullet congregate in shallow portions of Family groups can be found year-round in Hillsborough and Tampa Bay waters. mud to catch worms and inverte- and mollusks, and dead fish. Females can lay eggs to the bay. Hillsborough Bay from January through April to Scientists have used photo-identification of distinctive marks on dolphins to brates. Look for them on sandbars at at 7 years old. They spawn. During the spawning season, a female can study the Tampa Bay population since 1975, in what is apparently a relatively the Alafia Bank and on oysterbars in Sharks and Rays dig nests in the sandy produce nearly a pound of eggs, increasing her “closed” population, genetically distinct from Gulf of Mexico dolphins. There are the Kitchen. beach dunes of islands weight by nearly 20%. This cigar-shaped, round- several stable, resident groups of dolphins in Tampa Bay. Dolphins use the same The area of Hillsborough Bay near the mouth of in Hillsborough Bay, Long-billed Curlew by Jim Gray. headed, foot-long plus fish is a well-known jumper. regions of the bay throughout their lifetimes. Studies estimate a dolphin popula- Bullfrog Creek and the Alafia River “South Mouth” especially the Alafia Mullet are vegetarians, feeding on seagrasses and tion for Tampa Bay of about 550 animals. Other species of dolphins and whales is the most important nursery site for bull sharks Bank and islands of the algae. At all stages of their life, eggs to adult, they that use the Gulf of Mexico and could occasionally venture into waters near known on Florida’s west coast. Other sharks which Kitchen. are an important part of the estuary’s food chain. Tampa Bay include spotted, striped, rough-toothed, spinner, Risso’s, and Fraser’s occur in Hillsborough Bay include hammerheads, Roseate Spoonbill juvenile black-tipped sharks and bonnethead dolphins and sperm, dwarf sperm, pygmy sperm, and Bryde’s whales. Diamondback terrapins, These spectacular pink wading birds sharks. Hillsborough Bay is also well known for its right, are long-lived, have broad, flat, spoon-shaped bills that they sweep Fishing Tips: large population of rays and skates, especially cow- active estuary turtles. side to side in shallow water to catch small fish. Tarpon ➤ nosed rays, but also southern and Atlantic sting Generally believed to Only about 1400 pairs nest in Florida, and one fifth ◆ Help fish stocks increase by Tarpons’ size and fighting prowess have made them rays, butter rays, and spotted eagle rays. be a species in decline, of Florida’s spoonbills (over 300 pairs) nest in trees practicing catch and release. highly prized as sportfish. These magnificent fish terrapins can get at the Alafia Bank. ➤ can grow to be 8 feet long and weigh 280 pounds. Snook caught in crab traps ◆ Observe regulations and size limits. They spawn millions of eggs off shore in the Gulf of and drown. Photo by Roseate Spoonbill by Jim Gray. Snook are large, silvery, predatory fish with a dark Shrimp are highly valued as ◆ Mexico. Larval tarpon move into estuaries within Marius Moore. Properly dispose of fishing line in lateral stripe, pointed snouts, and protruding lower food and are commercially trash cans. 30 days, where they develop as juveniles in marshes Shrimp
Little Blue ➤ and mangrove habitats. Females are sexually mature jaws. Snook frequent shallow bay waters but are fished in Florida waters. Heron ◆ Use chrome-plated steel, gold- at 10 years old; records show most tarpon caught susceptible to cold (water temperatures below 60° F). Snook spawn from April Shrimp spawn in the Gulf, then the tiny larvae float Little Blue Herons plated steel, or bronze hooks as are 15–30 years old, although biologists have found through December, lurking in passes near islands and at river mouths, the same into bays and estuaries with incoming tides, where nest in trees on the they corrode quickly in salt water. individuals older than 50 years. Tarpon tournaments locations where they lie in wait for small fish and crustaceans. Nursery habitats they hide in seagrass meadows and salt marsh Richard T. Paul Alafia In contrast, stainless steel hooks are popular in Florida, and one in Tampa Bay has for young snook are shallow, brackish streams and canals with overhanging nurseries. Shrimp larvae molt several times, chang- Bank Bird Sanctuary. do not corrode and will persist in been conducted annually since before World War II. vegetation and flooded marsh grasses. Snook can weigh up to 50 pounds; ing shape during their developmental stages. Adult This bird, listed by the hooked fish and wildlife, harming Most tarpon fishing today is catch and release, to females can produce millions of eggs—about 50,000 eggs/pound of body weight. shrimp return to the offshore Gulf waters to spawn. Wildlife Commission them. Cadmium/tin-plated steel protect these extraordinary “silver kings.” as a “species of special hooks corrode slowly and give off If you hook a bird, don’t just cut concern,” hunts for Least Tern toxic metals as they slowly dissolve, ➤ Redfish Fishing Line: A Wildlife Killer the line. food in freshwater The smallest tern in North American, this “threat- so they should not be used either. Redfish, or red drum, are among Florida’s most Fishing line and other wetlands. ened” species nests on sandy, unvegetated barrier ◆ Don’t feed birds, and especially, If you are fishing and catch a bird by accident, reel popular game fish, and are large-bodied fish that trash that entangles island beaches. Since so many of these beaches don’t feed larger fish skeletons or it in carefully and remove the fishing line as gently Little Blue Heron, can reach 4–5 feet in length. They are red-tinged birds, manatees, fish, have been developed, some Least Terns nest on fish heads to birds. Bigger bones as possible. Don’t just cut the line—that is a death above, by Rich Paul. with a prominent black spot near their tails. Crabs, turtles and other gravel rooftops instead. To report unposted beach puncture delicate digestive tissues, sentence to that bird. Note: The bird won’t know shrimp, and smaller fish are food for redfish. Redfish wildlife create dev- colonies, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conser- causing internal injuries. spawn offshore in fall and winter, and females can you are trying to help and will try to defend itself. vation Commission 863/648-3205; to report rooftop astating problems Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and cover the ◆ If you catch an unwanted animal lay 2–3 million eggs each. The newly hatched larvae in the environment. colonies, call St. Petersburg Audubon Society drift with incoming tides back into sheltered bays, bird’s eyes with a towel or shirt to calm it. Hold the 727/384-0027. (bird, turtle, etc.), cut the barb to Some birds get caught wings and legs firmly and put your hat or other remove the hook. If the animal is where seagrass meadows act as redfish nurseries. when they chase Small redfish seek out creeks with mucky bottoms and low oxygen soft object in the bird’s beak so it will bite that and
Least Tern, above, by Doug Clark. hooked deeply, call Florida Fish and PLEASE: Use proper fishing bait on a line, not your hand. Once the fishing line is removed,
levels, where they can safely hide from larger fish predators while catch and release hooking themselves ➤ Wildlife Conservation Commission release the bird, head pointing away from you. If enforcement, 888/404-FWCC (3922) feeding on sediment invertebrates. As redfish mature, their mouths techniques. Keep only accidentally. Carelessly Reddish Egret shift in the bird is badly injured, transport it to Suncoast to arrange for veterinary assistance. those fish you’ll eat. discarded fishing Seabird Sanctuary or Save Our Seabirds. The rarest heron in North America, the Reddish Egret has This will save the life of one of these location to For information about line and nets can shaggy head and neck feathers and mating plumes that rare animals. If you’ve caught a the front ethical angling and get wrapped around What can we do? stretch past its tail. During nesting season, its bill is pink turtle, do not lift the turtle using of their recreational fishing birds’ legs or wings. with a black tip. Most are rusty-headed with blue-gray the line; instead use a dip net or its bodies, regulations contact Sometimes birds actu- ◆ Carefully and properly dispose of fishing line, bodies, but a small proportion of Reddish Egrets hatch out shell (watch out for the flipper claws allowing the Tampa Bay Estuary ally carry the mate- nets, and other line which could entangle as white birds and remain white all their lives. Hunted to and beak—they are strong biters!). them to Program, 727/893-2765. rial back to line their wildlife. near extinction for their breeding plumes, this species is If you’ve caught a turtle that is too catch swim- nests, perhaps mistaking it for straw or grass. In Each year, hundreds Photos of tarpon, above, ◆ Pick up fishing line if you see it in the bay and making a slow recovery (about 375 pairs in Florida) and big to capture or hold, cut the line ming fish. the colony, the line becomes a persistent killer, as of birds are killed by and redfish, left, by throw it away properly in a trash can. returned to nest in Tampa Bay in 1974. In Hillsborough as close as possible to the turtle’s one bird after another becomes ensnarled, doomed becoming ensnared in ➤ Captain Russ Shirley, Bay, about 40 pairs nest in trees at the Alafia Bank. They mouth before releasing it. See the to a slow death from dehydration and starvation. fishing line. Photo by ◆ Participate in the Annual Monofilament Cleanup www.captruss.com. are very active feeders, running around on shallow flats to section on Fishing Line for tips on Hundreds of adult and young birds die each year Peter Clark, Tampa of Bird Nesting Colonies, held each fall when the capture small fish. handling hooked birds. from entanglement in fishing line. Sea turtles and Bay Watch. birds are not breeding. Call the Audubon Society Reddish Egret, left, by Jim Gray. manatees, as well as fish, are also killed. 813/623-6826, or Tampa Bay Watch 727/867-8166.