What Great Neighbors We Have!

One aspect of cruising on a boat is the fact that we live in closer awareness of the life around us. Not only human life but also other forms of animal as well as plant life. I realize that viewing natural surroundings with evidence of the animal life is not unique to boating, but it's always there just outside our “home.” I'll offer a few examples from our current circumstances here in Boot Key Harbor.
Last night after dark I happened to be sitting in the cockpit when I heard a slapping noise in the water not far from the boat. After hearing several slaps, I realized that it was a dolphin. In fact there were several of them around the boat. It appeared that they were corralling fish for an evening meal. Earlier in the evening several pelicans were catching their supper by diving into the water to catch some fish, a regular activity for them here in the harbor. In the shallows nearby, I could see herons and egrets stabbing fish as well. I also saw a stingray jump out of the water in the afternoon. Earlier in the week while walking along the dinghy dock, Sandra was surprised when she spotted a moray eel swimming among the rocks. And our neighbors have also seen manatees in the harbor.
During our recent travels out to quiet anchorages in Florida Bay, we've seen lots of birds – sea gulls, osprey, herons, frigate birds, king fishers and cormorants among others. We also witnessed several tarpon - large fish 3-4 feet long - jumping out of the water. (They are known for doing this.)
We don't go off into the wilderness to see all these animals. They are all seen within close proximity to people, and they are doing what they do seemingly without noticing or being impacted by us. Of course that is my initial reaction, a rather naive impression as it turns out. Our living in such close proximity to our natural surroundings provides us with countless examples of our impact. During our trip south this year, we came upon a dolphin that was struggling with a serious gash still bleeding, undoubtedly due to a propeller strike. Even though they enjoy playing with the bow wave of boats, dolphin tend to be fast swimmers, so this probably happens infrequently. But the manatee, a much slower swimmer, is currently endangered in part due to being struck by boats. Whenever one sees a manatee, it is likely that scars from such strikes will be visible.
Here in the Keys, the impacts to the sensitive environment can be significant, and the small land area can easily be completely overtaken by development. A tour of the Keys will show ample evidence of canals dug and shorelines changed, beaches created at resorts, and non-native species of plants and animals being introduced – all of which can produce serious negative consequences. These impact everything from bird nesting sites to sea turtle egg laying on beach areas. The ground and shoreline area water pollution potential is huge. And the introduction of non-native plants and animals upsets the balance of the natural community.
What we find encouraging is that the dolphin are here feeding on the fish which live here, as do the pelicans and herons. The city marina provides pump-out service for all boaters each week at no extra charge. They even have a boat that comes to us. This has made an important difference to the quality of water in the harbor as evidenced by the fish and birds that appear to thrive here. The city marina provides moorings, so boaters don't have to anchor. This provides a safer harbor but also limits the damage to the plants that live on the bottom, providing a quality habitat for animal life here. Many areas within the Keys are protected from development and over use. And there are a number of other measures undertaken here to protect the ecosystem of the Keys.
While this is a small area with no major cities, it does provide an example of what can be done when when the local communities and the state work together to protect our fragile environment. The birds, the fish and the dolphin all seem to appreciate the result, as do all of us, the boaters who can daily witness the results of those efforts.