Into The Mangroves

The weekend it here, and we are kicking it off with a three day excursion into the mangroves at Honeymoon Island. All weekend we will have a real low tide in the afternoon, which will be perfect for some exploring of the numerous animals, crustaceans, birds and whatever else we will find over the next seventy-two hours.

In the meantime as I process the photos, I created a twenty image panorama of the entire mangrove salt marsh from the inlet all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. It's huge, but a cool shot of just how massive this marsh is and how much area we will be exploring.

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View A Panorama Of Honeymoon Island Mangrove Salt Marsh
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I'll post the story and photos after our expedition. Stay tuned!

Field Notes: Mangrove Snake

One of the lesser known snakes to inhabit Florida is the Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake. These beautiful, harmless, non-venomous snakes are only found in the Mangrove swamps in Florida and are frequently seen basking above the water on the limbs of mangrove trees. They are active primarily at night, depending on tidal patterns and seasons.

Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes inevitably ingests salt from its estuarine habitats. Since it does not have salt glands to help it get rid of excess salt, it must occasionally obtain freshwater, such as from rain, coastal streams, or body fluids of their prey. Their range is from along the Gulf coast from central Florida south to the Florida Keys, and north to around Brevard County on the Atlantic coast.

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View A Photo Of Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake
View A Close-up Of A Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake
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The live-bearing average adult size is 14-28 inches in length. Adults are variable in color and they may be grayish-olive, brown, or rusty orange with faint darker bands. Some Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes may be almost entirely black and can have dark stripes on the neck.

The belly is reddish-brown on rusty orange individuals, clouded gray on olive-gray individuals, clouded tan on brownish individuals, or mostly black with a central row of light spots on black-colored individuals. The scales are keeled, and there are 21-23 dorsal scale rows at midbody with a pupil that is round. Juvenile coloration is similar to adults.

Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes feeds on small fishes, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates trapped in isolated pools of water by the falling tide. During high tide, they hang in the upper parts of the mangrove trees, waiting for the low tide to come back out.

While it does not happen often, some people could confuse a Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake with a venomous Cottonmouth, and the easiest way to tell them apart is that Cottonmouth pupil of the eye is a catlike vertical slit. Cottonmouth eyes cannot be seen from the top of the head, and the top of the head is relatively flat. So if you are ever in the mangroves and happen to come upon a Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake, take a moment to enjoy this gentle and beautiful snake that is only here in Florida.

Field Notes: Florida Mangrove Crab

These small crustaceans can reach a length of 1-2 1/2 inches and are dark in color. They can be a dark green to dark brown in color and live in the mangroves of Florida. They do not have true pincers and their eyes are spread far apart. They have thick legs with hairs on them and these legs are sharp at the tips. They remain in the same general area their entire lives.

They are a soft-shelled crab that does not use a shell for a home like the Hermit crab does. We noticed that when you come upon them they try to hide behind the main branches of the mangrove trees so you can't see them. Some will also jump off of the mangroves into the water below and quickly burrow into the mud below. Although, when they do this, they also aerate the mud below the water which is a good thing.

They also hang around and rest with other Florida Mangrove Crabs. Some were sleeping right next to each other. They also are on the same mangrove trees with other types of soft shell crabs and Periwinkle snails. We did however, see a Florida Mangrove Snake resting on a mangrove and there were no mangrove crabs anywhere near the mangrove snake.

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View A Photo Of A Florida Mangrove Crab
View A Close-up Of A Florida Mangrove Crab
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Predators of the mangrove crab include birds such as herons and egrets and other larger crabs such as the blue crab. At low tide, the mangrove crab, along with other crabs scavenges the muddy and sandy bottoms of the mangroves. They look for pieces of fish, shrimp, remains of other crabs, leftover clam and scallop meat, algae and microscopic organisms in the mud and sand. Mangrove crabs mate throughout the year.

The female mangrove crabs hold onto their eggs for a few weeks until they release them in the Spring into the water where they are at the larval stage. They partially submerge their abdomen into the water where they shake enough to release the tiny hatched crab larvae into the water at night. There are some species of crabs where the females gather together and release all of their hatched larvae together on the same night.

The larvae drift in the currents with other small marine larvae known as zooplankton. They are still classified as marine animals at this stage. The small larvae have so many obstacles to avoid as well as predators. It take around 30 days and 4-5 stages to turn into a tiny crab.

Field Notes: Striped Sea Star

What a beautiful and delicate marine animal. Striped Sea Stars are from the family of Echinoderms which include sea urchins and sand dollars. Echinoderms means animals with "Spiny Skin." Common in the waters surrounding Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda and everywhere from New Jersey to Brazil. They are common in less than 100 feet of water. They inhabit the sandy bottom of the ocean and the coral reefs.

Just like sand dollars and sea urchins, they also burrow into the sand but they will forage and look for food out in the open as well. The Striped Sea Star that we found was found on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico in Florida in the Tampa Bay area. It had 5 legs that can regenerate if the tip is broken or if a predator removes one of the legs.

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View A Photo Of The Top Of A Striped Sea Star
View A Photo Of The Bottom Of A Striped Sea Star
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As we studied this marine animal, it seemed that it stiffened up when it was placed in the water with stronger current or if waves continuously swept by. It became stiff and it did not have it's tube feet exposed underneath or it's mouth. The tips of the tube feet are pointed and they do not have suckers on them like sea urchins do. The disk-like mouth is located on it's underside in the center.

The Striped Sea Star was highly mobile and you could visibly see it move slowly by using it's tube feet located on the underside along each leg. The sea star's body and legs became soft when it was in water with less of a current and when it was not where the waves break. It is capable of detecting the metabolic chemicals produced by prey organisms.

It is a scavenger with moves along the sandy bottom of the ocean looking for pieces of fish, shrimp and crab. It can also open sea scallops, clams and sea snails and extract the tender meat inside. Sea stars/starfish need to be in the ocean/water to breath and survive. If left on the beach for too long and in the sun they can dry out and perish.

If you find one, please gently place them back in the ocean/water pass where the rough waves break. You may have to go out 3-6 feet and place them on the sandy bottom so they can safely burrow into the ocean floor. Also, sun tan lotions and oils are very harmful to live sea stars and all marine life, including dolphins and manatees.

Mangrove Explorers

It was back to the beach for us on Honeymoon Island, however today, we headed in a totally different direction. Since it was Memorial Day, and the beaches was packed with people, we made our way to the salt ponds to explore an area we have been wanting to take a closer look at for a while now, and today seemed like the perfect day. We were all alone as we found our secret spot, and was loving every minute of it.

For most people, they see mangroves as just a bunch of trees that are found along the water, but to us, they are an unexplored treasure of all kinds of interesting subjects. On the surface, you really don't see nothing but the trees, but when you stop and take the time to look, there is a whole ecosystem just full of life.

The most common importance of mangroves is that they are a nursery of thousands of fish, and even can include sharks, stingrays, crabs and just about anything that can use the roots of the mangrove trees for safety as they shoot above the water. These animals use the shelter of these roots to hide from prey, where they can grow big before they head towards deeper waters.

For us, we saw all kinds of baby fish, as they schooled in and out of the mangroves roots, playing and chasing each other. As we walked along the trees, we found a new animal for us, a Periwinkle Snail. Periwinkle Snails are a group of marine snails. Their shells are typically mottled gray, white, and black and taper to a straight-sided or rounded cone with an obtuse point. Periwinkles inhabit the littoral zone, the region between low and high tides. Although they must live near the ocean and spend part of their time underwater, they prefer to be partially exposed to air.

The next creature we came across was a little fast moving Mangrove Crab. These little things are fast, and was tough to get a good photograph of, for they can sense us as we slowly approached, and would run deeper into the mangroves, and some would even just jump into the water to avoid us. That was a sight to behold. They are dark green or brown, black hairs on claws, eyes widespread at front corners and their legs have sharp tips that they use to hang onto the Red Mangrove Trees.

We also came across a vast amount of beautiful Dragonflies in all kinds of shapes and colors. Their iridescence colors are one the most colorful, as we saw blue, purple, green and orange. They gently buzzed around us, occasionally stopping on a mangrove root for a photo op. As we slowly made our way down the waters, we came across a scary sight that stopped us in our tracks.

Silently hanging on a branch over the water was a Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake. This snake was about two feet in length, and was reddish-orange in color. They are common in the Red Mangroves in Florida, and we were fascinated with him as he just sat there watching us too. These non-venonous snakes eat frogs, salamanders, fish, and crayfish - in or near the water, since they are known to enter the water, although for only short periods of time.

That find alone was worth the trip, as during our three hours exploring, we found all kinds of interesting things to study. Since we were no where near the throngs of beach people, it made it so peaceful to be at one with nature and a great way to end the Memorial Day weekend.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Beach Bums

Now that the Memorial Day Weekend has finally arrived, it's the unofficial start of the summer. I can't think of no better way to start the summer then a trip to the beach, and that is just what we did. We headed for the soft sand and warm breezes of Honeymoon Island to spend the day relaxing and hoping to catch a beautiful sunset.

We were kinda bummed that we missed low tide, for the water level was high, which means it is harder to find wildlife, since most hide and wait for those water levels to lower to come out to feed. We did however discover a new creature however, a Periwinkle Snail as we explored the mangroves around the salt ponds.

I almost got my wish for a dramatic sunset, however just as the sun was beginning to set, the clouds rolled away, but it did give an opportunity to catch it with my telephoto lens just before it sank below the horizon. It was a great day, just hanging out and having some fun in the sun.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Get 'Em While They're Hot

It's been a long time coming, but finally, today my book "Tampa Bay: A Photographic Portrait" officially goes on sale nationwide. I can't begin to express my excitement that after a year and a half that it is finally here, and I am so proud of it to say the least.

It was also reviewed in the local paper, the Tampa Tribune on May 18 by Karen Haymon Long, the Tampa Tribune's book editor:

"You'll want to get in your car and explore the Bay area, either to revisit places you've been or to discover new ones, after taking in La Follette's photos. Just about every facet is represented: the Hillsborough River, Busch Gardens, Pinellas County's historical courthouse and treasured resort hotels, Ybor City, Lowry Park Zoo and more. Some of the prettiest photos are of the Columbia Restaurant, an Ybor City landmark, and Pinellas's award-winning beaches. Overall, "Tampa Bay: A Photographic Portrait", which will be released Friday, would make a nice keepsake for locals or a souvenir for visitors."

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Click Here To View The Entire Book Online

Click Here To Order Your Copy From The Publisher

Click Here To Order Your Copy From Barnes & Noble

Click Here To Order Your Copy From Amazon
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I am also offering signed copies of the book that I will ship to you directly if you are also interested (contact me directly for more details).

Caladesi Island Named Best Beach

"Dr. Beach" has released his Top 10 beaches for 2008, and our very own Caladesi Island State Park has taken the top honors! With is crystal blue waters, vast amounts of wildlife, and miles of unspoiled beaches, it was no wonder why it was chosen as the best. Being that we also happen to live just minutes from this little slice of paradise, we couldn't agree more.

This year's runner-up was Hanalei Beach in Hawaii. Two other Florida Beaches made the cut: No. 3 Siesta Key Beach near Sarasota and No. 9 Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne. Here is the entire list:

1. Caladesi Island State Park, FL
2. Hanalei Beach, HI
3. Siesta Key Beach, FL
4. Coopers Beach, NY
5. Coronado Beach, CA
6. Main Beach, NY
7. Hamoa Beach, HI
8. Cape Hatteras, NC
9. Cape Florida State Park, FL
10. Beachwalker Park, SC

Now we can officially say that we have the best beach right here in our backyard, but we already knew that years ago!

What's At Stake For Florida

I received an email from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about a book project they are working on titled "Wildlife 2060: What's At Stake For Florida". They were interested in purchasing several of my photos to be included in the book, slated to arrive early this summer.

Naturally I was thrilled to be asked, and whole heartedly agreed to sell several of my wildlife photos for the project to them. The FWC does awesome work to educate the public here in Florida about the wildlife around us, for their bi-monthly magazine called "Florida Wildlife" is the best publication I have ever read.

This book explores what might happen in Florida to wildlife as we move into the next 50 years, and how humans have impacted them, both directly and indirectly. I cannot wait to get a copy when it is completed, and will post updated information when it is completed on how and where you can get a copy when it is completed!

Go Pens Go

Now that we live in a NHL town with our Tampa Bay Lightning, we still follow our old hometown team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even though we didn't live in Pittsburgh, we still went to numerous games every year, and made each one a fun mini-vacation and we had some great times.

Well, that team is now in the Stanley Cup Finals, and how exciting it is. After sitting behind the bench and watching superstars like Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev, Darius Kasparaitis, and even watching Marc-Andre Fleury's very first game in net, what a great year of watching this up and coming powerhouse with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are the real deal.

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View A Wide Angle Shot Of The Igloo
(JPG - 400KB)
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Win or loose in the Stanley Cup Finals, it is still great to see our old "hometown" team make it to one of the most difficult championship games in sports today. Go Pens Go!

Honeymoon Island

With the price of gasoline nearing four dollars a gallon, we have cut back on our travels around Florida quite a bit, and spending more time at home. Lucky for us however, we have one of the best beaches right in our backyard, and that beach is Honeymoon Island. Since it is a state park, it is very well maintained, clean and comfortable.

What makes this island so great in our opinion is that it is very diverse. Of course the main draw is the beach, but also it has one of the best walking and hiking trails. The beach has two main parts, the first you come to is the swimming beach which is on the south side of the island. This is a popular area for all kinds of water activities, including swimming, snorkeling, fishing and lots of other great sports.

The second beach on the north side of the island is the longest stretch of pure, uninterrupted beach that has the sand so pure, it looks like white powder. It is also here that you can find some great salt ponds just teaming with life, as well as mangroves just waiting to be explored. This beach is so long, that we have yet to make it all the way to the end, although we came close on Saturday for the first time.

If walking is your thing, of course the nature trails offer great trails to take in the native wildlife, plants, flowers and trees. We normally spend most of our time here in the winter months, and then over to the beaches in the summer, so Honeymoon is a great place to spend a day or weekend all year round.

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Click Here To Watch A Video Of Honeymoon Island
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We finally took some time to shoot some video of just some of the vast animals and scenes you can find on this little slice of paradise. This is a place that if you look below the surface, you would be amazed at just what you can find, and we certainly are never disappointed.

Fiddler On The Beach

We had been waiting all week for Saturday, for we made plans to go to the beach, and that beach was our favorite on Honeymoon Island. We checked the tide chart, and as luck would have it, low tide was coming in around 6pm. We packed up our gear and started our trek down the beach, and our first stop was a small salt pond behind the dunes on North Beach.

As we approached, we noticed a large mass of fast moving creatures on the shore, and as we got closer, we saw thousands and thousands of Fiddler Crabs. This was a sight to behold, as we have seen them before, but never in this number. Along the mangroves, we came upon a mass so big, it was overwhelming to watch.

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Click Here To Watch A Video Of Fiddler Crabs At Low Tide
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What an amazing sight it was to witness such a scene, and honestly, it was so cool to see the huge mass of them, especially along the mangroves as they were piled up on each other and all over the place.

Field Notes: Sea Turtles

Did you know that there are seven species of Sea Turtles in the world, and five species inhabit Florida's waters during some of the year? Florida's nesting sea turtles include the Loggerhaead (most common), and Leatherback (least common). During the summer months, there are approximately 50,000 sea turtles in Florida. This makes it the most important nesting area in the United States. Other species of sea turtles that frequent Florida waters but generally do not nest here include the Hawksbill, Green and the Kemp's Ridley.

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Click Here To View A Sea Turtle Identification Chart
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In Florida, sea turtles come ashore to nest beginning in May and hatching continues until late October. A female can lay several nests during one season and only nests every two or three years. The hard process of nesting takes hours. A turtle must drag her massive weight out of the water to the dunes. She uses her back flippers to dig a hole and deposits about one hundred rubbery eggs, each the size of a ping-pong ball. The turtle disguises the nest by flinging sand over it. Once she leaves the nest, she never returns.

After incubating for two months, the hatchlings break out of their shells and thrash about together causing the walls of the nest to collapse and the bottom of the hole to rise. Once near the surface, the hatchlings wait until the sand temperature cools to emerge. Therefore most emerge after dark. Once out of the nest, the turtles scramble to the water and swim offshore where they will live for several years in seaweed beds drifting along the Gulf Stream. As the turtles grow older they move into coastal waters.

Let's take a closer look now at the five species of sea turtles that can be found along Florida's beaches:

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
The Green Sea Turtle is found throughout the world's tropical oceans. The Atlantic Green Sea Turtle has important nesting and foraging grounds on the Atlantic coasts of Costa Rica and throughout the Caribbean. The southern coasts of Florida have only recently become an important nesting ground for Green Sea Turtles. Additional rookeries can also be found in Australia and parts of Southeast Asia. Florida's east and west coasts also serve as important developmental habitats for juvenile Green Sea Turtles. In these waters, Green Sea Turtles can regularly be seen darting in and out of seagrass beds. The Pacific Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizi) ranges on the Pacific Coast of the Americas from southern California to Chile. Important nesting areas for this sub-species can be found in Mexico and Costa Rica.

• The Green Sea Turtle is the largest of the hard-shelled turtles, with an average size of 300 to 500 lbs.
• The head of the Green Sea Turtle is small compared to its body size and its jaws have a characteristic serration.
• The Green Sea Turtle uses its serrated jaw to forage on seagrasses and algae.
• Foraging Green Sea Turtles are important to the health of seagrass beds, which are developmental habitats for large numbers of fish species.
• The Green Sea Turtle gets its name from the green coloration of its muscle, which is eaten by people throughout its range.
• To early European explorers, Green Sea Turtles were important sources of protein because the turtles were easy to catch and could be kept alive with little care during long voyages.
• The Pacific Green Sea Turtles or Black turtles are genetically similar to the Atlantic Green Sea Turtle; however, their coloration is darker and they are smaller than the Atlantic Green Sea Turtle.

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View A Photo Of A Green Sea Turtle Swimming
View A Photo Of A Green Sea Turtle Close-Up
View A Photo Of A Green Sea Turtle Release
View A Photo Of A Juvenile In The Gulf Of Mexico
View A Photo Of The Result Of Getting Entangled In Fishing Line
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Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is found in every ocean throughout the world. They are typically subtropical in nature, nesting farther from the equator than any other species. The Atlantic Loggerhead is found in great numbers feeding along the inshore and coastal water of the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys and along the eastern seaboard as far north as New England. The Atlantic Loggerhead is also found in open water of the Mediterranean, along the west coast of Africa, in the Caribbean and along the coasts of Central and South America. Nesting by the Atlantic Loggerhead is highest on beaches of the southeastern United States, with close to 90% of that nesting occurring in Florida. Important nesting of the Loggerhead also occurs in the Mediterranean countries of Greece, Turkey, and Israel.

• The Loggerhead is a large reddish-brown turtle, reaching the size of 200 to 300 lbs. Male Loggerheads, as with all species of sea turtle, have a tail that extends nearly a foot past their shell.
• The Loggerhead is distinguished from other species of sea turtle by having a teardrop-shaped shell or "carapace".
• The name Loggerhead is derived from the turtle's large head and jaws, which it uses to crush its favorite food items: crabs, clams and conchs.
• The Loggerhead is the only species of turtle to nest exclusively at night.
• The primary threats to the Loggerhead are loss of nesting habitat to beachfront development and associated artificial lighting, shrimping, long line fisheries, entanglements, pollution, and being hit by boats.

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View A Photo Of A Loggerhead On The Beach
View A Photo Of A Loggerhead Swimming
View A Photo Of A Loggerhead Being Treated
View A Photo Of An Adult In The Gulf Of Mexico
View A Photo Of Loggerhead Being Released
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Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is found in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Nesting occurs on small islands adjacent to feeding grounds, which are typically associated with coral reefs.

• Hawksbills are small sea turtles, ranging in size from 100 to 120 lbs.
• Hawksbills are unlike other species of sea turtle in that they generally do not travel great distances between feeding and nesting areas.
• Hawksbills get their name from their bird-like jaw, which they use to probe the crevices of coral reefs in search of their favorite food, sponges.
• Hawksbills are endangered because their scutes are a primary source of tortoise shell material, used in the manufacture of jewelry and other ornamental items.

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View A Photo Of A Hawksbill Swimming
View A Photo Of A Hawksbill Surfacing For Air
View A Photo Of A Hawksbill Looking For Food
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Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempi)
The Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is primarily confined to the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern seaboard of the United States as far north as New England. Adult Kemp's Ridleys can be found in the Gulf of Mexico feeding on the productive coastal waters from Texas to Florida. Juvenile Kemp's Ridleys can also be found in these productive waters; however, many travel north along the eastern seaboard of the United States. The primary nesting ground for the Kemp's Ridley is located at Rancho Nuevo, on Mexico's east coast.

• The Kemp's Ridley is the smallest of all the sea turtles ranging in size from 80 to 120 lbs.
• Kemp's Ridley sea turtles are fast-swimming turtles that feed primarily on crabs.
• The carapace of a Kemp's Ridley is distinguished from other species of sea turtle by its circular shape.
• Kemp's Ridley and Olive Ridley sea turtles are the only two species of sea turtle to nest in large groups all at once. This type of mass nesting is referred to as an "arribada". In the Kemp's Ridley, these arribadas are no longer observed due to severe reduction in this species' population size.
• Kemp's Ridleys are the only species of sea turtle to nest exclusively during the daytime.
• Kemp's Ridleys are the most endangered species of sea turtle. Because of their daytime mass nesting, populations of Kemp's Ridley females and the eggs were nearly wiped out by poachers in only a few decades.

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View A Photo Of A Kemp's Ridley Swimming
View A Photo Of A Kemp's Ridley With I.D. Tag
View A Photo Of A Kemp's Ridley Close-Up
View A Photo Of A Kemp's Ridley Swimming
View A Photo Of The Result Of A Boat Hit
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Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
The Leatherback Sea Turtle is found throughout the world in all oceans. Leatherbacks are found in open waters as far north as Alaska. Leatherback nesting occurs primarily in tropical locations such as New Guinea, Indonesia, Central America, Costa Rica, French Guiana and the southern Pacific coast of Mexico.

• The Leatherback is the largest species of sea turtle, with an average weight of 1300 lbs.
• The name Leatherback is derived from the turtle's leathery shell. Leatherbacks do not have a hard shell and are classified separately from other sea turtle species.
• In addition to being soft, the shell of the Leatherback has 7 longitudinal ridges. These enable the turtle's adaptations to deep diving and constant swimming.
• Leatherbacks are able to tolerate colder temperatures than other species by using their large size to generate heat.
• Leatherbacks deposit more clutches per individual than other species of sea turtle, depositing between 50 and 120 eggs per clutch. A large number of these eggs are infertile eggs. It is not known why female Leatherbacks lay these infertile eggs.
• Leatherbacks are critically endangered, especially in the Pacific Ocean where the long line fisheries for swordfish and tuna entangle and kill thousands of migrating Leatherbacks each year.
• The combination of long line fisheries and poor conservation techniques has led to the near extinction of Leatherbacks in the Pacific.
• Leatherback nesting is on the increase in Florida with an average of 50 nests laid on Florida's east coast each year.

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View A Photo Of A Leatherback Sea Turtle
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Centuries ago, sea turtles roamed our oceans by the millions. In the last 100 years their numbers been greatly reduced. All seven species of sea turtles are in danger of extinction. Demand for sea turtle meat, eggs, and other by-products, as well as a loss of habitat, commercial fishing, and pollution have contributed to their decline.

The main danger for hatchlings is from artificial lighting. When the babies emerge, they instinctively move in the brightest direction. Normally, this would be the open night sky reflected by the ocean. On a developed beach, artificial lights attract the hatchlings, causing them to crawl in the wrong direction. Other dangers include obstructions on the beach, such as beach chairs, holes, or tire tracks, all of which can block their path to the sea.

If you are visiting, or live near the beach, you can help by keeping outside lights off during turtle season from May through October. Make sure to remove chairs, umbrellas and other gear from the beach each night. Level all sand castles and fill any holes dug during play. Please pick up all trash. Sea turtles mistakenly eat debris, especially plastic, which results in death. Never buy products made from sea turtles or any other endangered species

If you encounter a nesting sea turtle on the beach stay clear. Do not shine lights or take flash photographs. When frightened the nesting turtle will return to the water where she will drop her eggs. If you see an injured, nesting or dead sea turtle, and are in the Tampa, Florida area, call 727-441-1790, ext. 234, or call your local authorities.

Splash News

With the new look of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, now comes a new look for the aquariums official newsletter called "Splash News". Each issue will cover the latest news and happenings at the aquarium, including exhibit updates, animal updates, recent releases, program information and much, much more.

In the first issue, many of my photographs grace the pages of the newsletter, including some of the new exhibits, dolphin shows, renovations, and some of my favorites of Winter, Indy and Bailey.

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Click Here To Read The Latest Issue Of Splash News
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On another note, the aquarium just launched their brand new web site that has tons of photos and videos that Dawn and I shot over the past several months, as well as lots of great information.

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Click Here To Visit The New CMA Web Site
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What a great way to showcase all the great things that the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is doing, and it's great to have some of my work help out and be seen worldwide.

Battle At Kruger

I am fascinated by wildlife videos, and spend a large amount of my spare time watching channels like Animal Planet, National Geographic, PBS and The History Channel. Watching the news or movies really don't appeal to me, for I love the education and videography of some of these documentaries for they are fascinating. One of the most amazing videos I have ever seen was recently on National Geographic Channel, called "The Battle at Kruger".

Taken from a vehicle on the opposite side of the watering hole in Kruger National Park, South Africa with a digital camcorder, the video begins with the herd of buffalo approaching the water, unaware of the lions resting nearby. The lions charge and disperse the herd, picking off a young buffalo and unintentionally knocking it into the water while attempting to make a kill. While the lions try to drag the buffalo out of the water, it is grabbed by a pair of crocodiles, who fight for it before giving up and leaving it to the lions.

The lions sit down and prepare to eat, but are quickly surrounded by the massively reorganized buffalo, who move in and begin charging and kicking at the lions. After a battle which sees one lion being tossed into the air by a buffalo, the baby buffalo — still alive, to the astonishment of the onlookers — escapes into the herd. The emboldened buffalo then proceed to chase the remaining lions away.

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Click Here To Watch Video Of The Battle At Kruger
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This documentary is a must see, and one of the most incredible footage I have ever seen, for I was captivated by it, and would of loved to have seen this in person.

It's Getting Hot

With what seems that spring is already long gone, for the temperatures soared into the low to mid 90's on Saturday, it made for a hot day at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. We really didn't have an agenda, but to just hang out at the zoo and work on some more photos we haven't gotten yet to date.

The highlight however is that we had gotten permission to go behind the scenes to take some photos of a really cool animal, an Irish Singing Dog. I have been with them before, and I really like these animals. They are kind, gentle and they make the coolest sounds as they will howl that can be heard at great distances.

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Click Here To Watch Video Of A Florida Manatee Mother & Baby

Click Here To Watch A Photo Slideshow Of The Zoo
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It was tough getting around in the heat, and it seemed most of the animals were also feeling it, for they took to any shade they could find. All in all we had a great time as always at one of the best zoos we have ever visited.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Silent Hunter

Late on Saturday evening after coming home from the zoo, we saw our little female Red-shoudered Hawk sitting on the corner of our house. We see her all the time, and it is a joy to watch this beautiful hawk day in and day out. I have photographed her so much, that she actually recognizes me, and will let me get within only a few feet of her.

We sat on the sidewalk and watched her as she stood silent, waiting for any movement below. She was hunting Brown Anoles, and they have such a keen eyesight, that even the slightest movement meant she would swoop down and snag her dinner to take back home to her nest.

After sitting there for almost an hour, she finally decided to try another area, so she took flight and landed in a tree. I carefully made my way to get into position, and it resulted in the best shot I have ever gotten of her as she sat in that tree. She stayed for a little while, then got tired of me blowing her cover, and flew off. It was too cool to be only feet away from this little cutie.

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Little Green

On a warm and sunny morning, a little Green Sea Turtle named Chloe was going home. It was several months ago during the winter months that she came to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for she was lethargic, not eating and tired for she was a cold stunned turtle.

Cold stunned turtles exhibit this illness when the temperatures of the Gulf waters get cold during the winter months, so she was rehabilitated and was set to be released this morning at Honeymoon Island. With Sea Turtle Captain Mike, she was given a private release with two other interns, Lisa and Jackie. For them both, it was their first release, and they were so excited to be a part of such a great event.

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Watch A Video Of Chloe's Release (1:11 - SWF)
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Chole took to the warm waters, swimming around for a little while, then took off into deeper waters where large turtle grass beds await her. Although there was no fanfare, large crowds or throngs of media, it was cool to get to see a little Green Sea Turtle return home. Be safe in your travels Chloe!

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Row, Row, Row Your Boat

I was looking forward to this past Saturday, for the Tampa Bay & Company contacted me to shoot the 2008 Asia Fest in Tampa. The all day festival consisted of two big events, first was the Dragon Boat races to be held in Garrison Channel just south of Channelside.

This for me was the most exciting, for I have never seen races like this before, and it was really cool to watch the boat races and all of the color and excitement, not too mention some amazing wide angle shots of the race with the beautiful skyline of Tampa in the background. It was a great exercise in lens choice, for I used every lens in my arsenal to capture all sorts of interesting and unique shots of the action.

After several hours, I made my way over to the St. Pete Times Forum across the channel to shoot the Asia Fest, and everyone was dressed in their native wear, and the bright, bold and beautiful colors. There was demonstrations from every country in the Asia Pacific region, and I found the dances and performances a real treat to photograph. It made for a great day of learning and photographing.

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