Water Police Location: Crystal River, Florida Day 17 by Wayne Brown

Over the last three weeks we have learn many things about manatees. Mr. Bob Bonde and Dr. O'Dell told us that manatee mothers and baby should not be separated, or the baby could loose its mother. Bob and Dr. O'Dell also told us that manatees need a place where they can get away from people when they want. Ms. Joyce Kleen shows us, from her aerial manatees surveys, where manatees like to hang out. It is the job of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to protect endangered species such as manatees. From the information we know about manatees' behavior and habits the USFWS has set up manatee sanctuaries, so manatees can get away from people and rest undisturbed. To prevent manatee mothers and calves from being separated, the USFWS has also made rules and laws on how people are to interact with manatees they are in the water with. Of course, everywhere we saw manatees we saw scars from being hit with boat propellers. The USFWS also has rules and laws about how fast boats should go in manatee zones. People sometimes break the laws that help protect manatees. Sometimes people break the laws accidentally. Sometimes people break the laws on purpose. To protect the manatees Officers Rees and Jauschneg are here to make sure people know the laws and obey them.

8:30 AM - We met Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg at Crystal River National Wildlife Sanctuary Headquarters. They were getting ready to start their patrol day. We found them in the boat house cleaning their patrol boat. Their patrol boat is an open fiberglass boat about 12 feet long. It is powered by a 150 horsepower, V6 outboard engine. Today Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg are using their patrol boat to do their patrol. They told us that on some weekends there are so many boats and people it is hard for them to drive their boat around to watch what is going on. On the busy weekends they sometimes go on patrol undercover. They don't wear their uniforms. They put on wet suits, mask, fins and snorkel, just like everyone else in the water. Then, they swim around with the people watching the manatees. Sometimes people my break the laws if they think no police officers are around. Those people get surprised when an officer swims up to them and shows them their badge. (They have special waterproof, cloth badges that they carry with them to show people.)

The patrol boat is now ready to go and Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg put on their police belts. These belts are like the one police officers in your town wear. These wide, black leather belts hold what the officers need to carry to do their job. On the belt was police radio, a pager, a collapsible baton, handcuffs, pepper spray, and a gun. (Officer Rees's gun was a 40 caliber Sig Saur. Officer Jauschneg's gun was a 9 mm Sig Saur.) They carry a pager with them because people will help them by calling in with reports of speeders, or people bothering manatees.

Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg also have a small suitcase that holds their ticket books (for writing tickets), life vests, and another radio.

We leave headquarters and slowly cruise over to the manatee sanctuary at Banana Island. When we got there they saw two kids go into the roped off sanctuary area. Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg know that kids love manatees and kids wouldn't do anything to hurt manatees. When kids break the law it is usually their parents fault, because they didn't tell their kids what they should or shouldn't do when they are around the manatee sanctuaries. When the kids came over to the patrol boat Officer Rees and Jauschneg talked told their parents that they are responsible for letting their kids know what they should or should not do. Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg did not give the kids a ticket, but they did tell their parents that going into the sanctuary is something they could get a ticket for.

As we watched the people swimming around King Spring with the manatees a kayak pulled up alongside the patrol boat. On the side of the kayak was a sign that said, "Manatee Watch". The person in the kayak is a volunteer who watches over the sanctuary when the officers are not there. The volunteers are usually retired, grandmas and grandpas, who love manatees. The volunteers report to the officers any problems they see in the sanctuary with people bothering the manatees. Fortunately, their were no problems today.

Officers Rees and Jauschneg told us that most of the problem with people breaking the laws are because many people don't know what the laws are. At headquarters, Mrs. Eileen Nunez is the Interpretive Specialist whose job it is to educate people about what the laws are and how these laws help protect manatees. Officers Rees and Jauschneg told us since more and more people are becoming educated about the laws, their are fewer and fewer people who are breaking the laws. When people know what the laws are and how they protect manatees most people don't want to break the laws.

Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg told us that when they find someone breaking the law they can give them a ticket, but usually they just give them a warning and that is usually enough so they won't break that law again. Officer Rees and Jauschneg told us that if they find you breaking the law they will indentify themselves as federal officers. They will tell you that you are breaking the law. They will ask you if you think you need a ticket. They will ask you if you saw the video about manatee rules and regulations. If you saw it they will ask why you didn't pay attention. If you say you're sorry and didn't know and won't do it again, then they will let you off without a ticket. But, if you argue with them or ignore them, they will give you a ticket. Tickets for breaking the law can be from $50.00 up to $500.00!

We left King Spring and slowly cruised around Banana Island. The water and weather has been pretty warm for this time of year, so we don't see a lot of manatees around. The only manatees we see around Banana Island are a couple at King Spring.

We cruise around Kings Bay. No more manatees. We cruise over to Three Sisters Springs. On our way to Three Sisters a boat comes up to us to tell us about some people in a manatee sanctuary near a spring called Gator Hole, on the way to Three Sisters. We get to Gator Hole and see two boats there. A teenager is swimming out of the sanctuary. Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg knew the teenager should have known better. They talked to the teenager and his parents for a while, but finally let them go with just a warning.

We continued on to Three Sisters. Another boat comes up to us and tells us about an adult in the manatee sanctuary in Three Sisters. By the time we get there the adult is gone. I get off the patrol boat with Officer Jauschneg and go ashore to look into the main spring further back. We find someone who is probably the person that we were told about, but he is not in the sanctuary now. Officer Jauschneg talks to him and lets him know that going into the sanctuary is an offense that he can get a ticket for. We are sure this adult knew better, but since we didn't see him in the sanctuary he just gets a talking to by Officer Jauschneg.

Officer Jauschneg and I get back to Karen and Officer Rees in the patrol boat and discover that we have a visitor. There is a manatee nibbling on the algae on the bottom of the boat engine. We have to wait until he is done nibbling and swims away before we can start the engine and continue our patrol.

Today is a pretty slow day, not many people or manatees. We return to headquarters at the end of the patrol. We are done with our day, but Officers Rees and Jauschneg still have more to do. They patrol not just Kings Bay in Crystal River, they patrol a very large area that includes other rivers and bays, too. Besides protecting manatees and other wildlife they also help regular police officers, too. If any crime is comitted on sanctuary land, then Officers Rees and Jauschneg help in the investigation.

Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg love their jobs because they like the outdoors and they know they are helping not just manatees, but helping to preserve an important ecosystem for kids in the future to see and enjoy, too.

Unfortunately, we have come to the end of The Ocean Adventure Crystal River Florida Manatee Expedition. We have found we ran out of time before we ran out of things we wanted to see and do. Tomorrow we will review some of the things we learned about manatees during our expedition. We will tell you what you can do to help protect manatees. We will also have some questions for you and your teachers to think about and talk about in class. So...join us again tomorrow for our expedition wrap-up!

Karen and I are with Officer Rees, and Officer Jauschneg at the Headquarters of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. We are starting our day on patrol here.

Officer Rees and Officer Jauschneg start their day cleaning their patrol boat.

TODAY'S DATA
Time: 8:30 AM
Distance from Crystal River Base:
2 miles
Morning Air Temp: 44ºF
Afternoon Air Temp: 68ºF
Weather: Morning - Cold and overcast with high clouds. Afternoon - Scattered clouds and sun.
Total manatees seen so far: 80
Total mermaids seen so far: 6
Distance Traveled by Kayak so Far: 14 miles

PHOTOS TAKEN SO FAR
Digital Photos
(Above water): 300
Digital Photos
(Underwater): 166
Film Photos
(Above water): 1426
Film Photos
(Underwater): 342
Rolls of film shot
(36 exposures): 47 rolls

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