Manatee Abuse and Harassment Caught on Tape

[JahJahwarrior]

This is shameful. I will not even buy air at American Pro anymore unless I hear they have changed their ways.

[Angel Of Death 2008]

This is absolutely aweful.
I hope this link gets back to all the operators so they can explain themselves.

[deepstops]

This is actually rather tame compared to the two guys here in Broward County that are doing jail time who videoed themselves trying snag a manatee with a treble hook and posted it on You're-a-Boob. They even worked for a nation-wide chain of fresh water fishing stores so they had to know better......

[marksm]

It's funny because I was originally there to shoot a manatee film and try to record the calls of cow and calf and follow them for several weeks. However, the blocking incident happened on just my second day in the water. Needless to say, it inspired me to go a different direction with the piece.

They did not want me filming them or their guests in a public waterway. I told them I wasn't interested in their guests but just wanted to identify the manatees I heard in my hydrophones. I even asked them to escort me and they still refused. They were very passive aggressive about it. They just kept getting in front of me. When I asked them why, they just said they were trying to see the same thing I was. But it was obvious to me, and by the recordings that my above water microphone picked up, that it was intentional. A manatee came up right next to me and they wouldn't let me film it either. They said it was THEIR manatee that followed them over to me. My above water camera shot, which isn't in the film, shows them kicking trying to splash my audio gear as well.

American Pro Diving Center also told Manatee Watch kayak volunteers to stay away from their boats when the Manatee Watch people were trying to observe. American Pro guides and captains were trying to quote Coast Guard regulations with regards to diver down flags. It was obscene.

All of this is audible and visible in my original recordings but such a small part made it into the film.
Here is another example of them behaving arrogantly and without regard for the guidelines. Be patient as you watch it, all will become very obvious as you watch the digital closeup in the second half. It's so sad.

[pir8]

This is just plain SAD

[SuPrBuGmAn]

FWIW, I used Manatee Safaris the one time I've done the Crystal River manatee snorkel thing. They limitted the number of swimmers to 6 people on a nice sized pontoon boat. They made it a point for us to absolutely not approach the manatees, for them to simply come to us.

They dropped us by a bridge on our first spot and we had a couple herds come by us, which was quite nice. Later we went to 3 Sisters Springs and there was large crowds harrassing the manatees(which were in larger numbers), but the experience was not nearly as enjoyable with the amount of people(several ops) onsite not enforcing the laws.

[Angel Of Death 2008]

I have to admit I am still sick to my stomach hours after first seeing this thread.

[pickens_46929]

Originally Posted by marksm

I do NOT go out with American Pro Diving Center. They are the ones who blocked me and who held the manatees for the children to surround.

I was wondering as I know they do tend to take out the kids by the boat load. Thanks.

[123Scuba.com]

Thank you for sharing this. I am hosting a course here this week and will be showing it to them.

[fisheyeview]

Thanks for sharing this. I have heard about this behavior from other photogrophers. I have heard about them being blocked by guides. It is one thing to hear about it. It is another to see this disgraceful behavior.