Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A particularly virulent strain of red algae killed more than 240 manatees in 2013. The al-
gae produces toxins that are absorbed by the sea grass, which manatees eat. It's un-
known why the outbreak was so severe for the year.
Whales & Dolphins
The eastern USA's top spot to whale-watch is off Massachusetts' coast at Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a summer feeding ground for humpbacks. These awe-
some creatures average 49ft and 36 tons - serious heft to be launching up and out of the
water for their playful breaching. They also come surprisingly close to boats, offering
great photo ops. Many of the 300 remaining North Atlantic right whales, the world's
most endangered leviathan, frequent the same waters. Cruises depart from Boston, Ply-
mouth, Provincetown and Gloucester, Massachusetts.
The waters off the coast of Florida are home to several dolphin species. By far the
most common species is the bottlenose dolphin, which is highly social, extremely intelli-
gent and frequently encountered around the entire peninsula. Bottlenose dolphins are the
species most often seen in captivity.
Manatees
Florida's coast is home to the unusual, gentle manatee, which moves between freshwater
rivers and the ocean. Around 10ft long and weighing on average 1000lb, these agile, ex-
pressive creatures don't do much, spending most of each day resting and eating 10% of
their body weight. In winter they seek out Florida's warm-water springs and power-plant
discharge canals. In summer they migrate back to the ocean and can be spotted in the
coastal waters of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, in addition to Florida.
Manatees have been under some form of protection since 1893, and they were in-
cluded in the first federal endangered species list in 1967. They were once hunted for
their meat - finer than filet mignon, allegedly - but collisions with boats are now a lead-
ing cause of manatee deaths, accounting for over 20% annually. Manatees number more
than 4000 today.
In a program to introduce endangered whooping cranes to the east, naturalists use ultra-
light aircraft to lead young cranes from their breeding ground in central Wisconsin to a
winter habitat along Florida's Gulf Coast. Once the birds learn the route, they can re-
trace it unaided. Follow them at
http://www.ustream.tv/migratingcranes
.
