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Tampa Bay Watch is recruiting volunteers to assist with the Tampa Bay Manatee Watch program. Volunteers distribute free boater kits at area boat ramps, marinas and festivals, assist in manatee research, and pilot or crew our specially designed pontoon boat.
The Tampa Bay Manatee Watch program is administered by Tampa Bay Watch with support from the Manatee Awareness Coalition, an alliance of agencies, environmental organizations and special interest groups dedicated to protecting manatees in Tampa Bay. The goals of the Tampa Bay Manatee Watch are to encourage boaters to voluntarily slow down in waters six feet deep or less and to provide boaters with the tools to help identify shallow areas and better spot and avoid manatees.
Manatee Watch trains volunteers to provide manatee and manatee habitat information to boaters and to distribute "safe boating kits" including charts showing areas around the bay where boaters are encouraged to go slow to protect manatees; polarized sunglasses which reduce glare on the water and make manatees easier to observe; and, emergency contact information to report dead or injured manatees. Boaters are also shown pictures of the small ripple, swirl or slick spot seen on the water that manatees leave behind as they swim.
Volunteers are also needed to assist with our manatee/boater research project. In cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), Tampa Bay Manatee Watch is conducting research to assess the effectiveness of our educational program. Trained Manatee Watch volunteers, working with FWCC interns, sit on-shore using a high-tech spotting scope and monitor boat traffic in St. Petersburg waterways.
Upcoming training sessions will be held on December 19 and January 8. For more information about Manatee Watch and volunteer opportunities please contact Kip Koelsch at Tampa Bay Watch at 727-896-5320 or kkoelsch@tampabaywatch.org.
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