Chapter II — Species of Special Concern 



Protection of Manatees in the Crystal 

 and Homosassa Rivers 



The largest natural warm-water manatee refuge in 

 Florida is Kings Bay at the head of the Crystal River 

 on the northwestern coast of Florida. Roughly a mile 

 in diameter, the bay is fed by scores of warm-water 

 springs. In winter, more than 300 manatees aggregate 

 in the bay's warm waters. A few miles south of 

 Kings Bay is a second major winter refuge located at 

 a site called the Blue Waters at the mouth of a spring 

 run carrying water from a large natural warm-water 

 spring, Homosassa Springs, to the head of the 

 Homosassa River. These two namral warm-water 

 refuges provide winter habitat for an important 

 subgroup of the Florida manatees that, in summer, 

 disperse along the relatively undeveloped coast of 

 northwestern Florida. 



As discussed in past annual reports, the Commis- 

 sion has focused particular attention on protecting the 

 regional ecosystem that supports this relatively dis- 

 crete group of manatees. In the 1980s it played a 

 major role in developing a long-term federal-state land 

 acquisition initiative that, to date, has resulted in the 

 purchase of more than 100,000 acres (40,470 ha) for 

 inclusion in various refuges, parks, and reserves along 

 the northwestern Florida coast (see Appendix B, 

 Marine Mammal Commission 1984). The Commis- 

 sion also was instrumental in developing a research 

 and management plan for Crystal River manatees (see 

 Appendix C, Packard 1984), which formed a basis for 

 the Citrus County manatee protection plan adopted 

 early in the 1990s. It includes provisions to protect 

 manatees in the Crystal and Homosassa Rivers. 



As noted above, the number of manatees using the 

 two warm-water refuges on the Crystal and 

 Homosassa Rivers has increased severalfold over the 

 past two decades. During this period, the clear, warm 

 water at both sites and the chance to view wild 

 manatees at close range has attracted recreational 

 divers whose numbers also have increased severalfold. 

 Although some manatees are unperturbed by and will 

 even approach non-agressive divers, other manatees 

 avoid divers and are easily displaced from resting 

 areas. In some cases divers hoping to touch manatees 

 or pose with them for underwater photographs chase 



them from resting areas near warm-water spring 

 discharges. 



Such disturbance first became apparent in Kings 

 Bay. To address the problem, the Fish and Wildlife 

 Service adopted regulations in 1980 setting aside three 

 small manatee sanctuaries covering about 10 acres 

 (4.05 ha) near the bay's largest spring. The regula- 

 tions prohibited the entry of divers and boats within 

 the sanctuaries, and manatees soon learned to escape 

 unwanted attention from divers by retreating into the 

 sanctuaries. To further protect the animals, the 

 Service purchased several small islands in the bay 

 early in the 1980s and designated them as the Crystal 

 River National Wildlife Refuge. In 1990 it purchased 

 a site on the bay's shoreline for a refuge headquarters 

 to help provide on-site public education and enforce- 

 ment. As the number of manatees and divers contin- 

 ued to increase, the Service expanded the sanctuary 

 area to 39 acres (15.8 ha) in 1991 by adding three 

 new manatee sanctuaries and enlarging the original 

 three areas. 



The popularity of Kings Bay as a dive site has 

 continued to increase, and in 1996 the Commission 

 received information indicating that, on some days, 

 hundreds of people were diving in Kings Bay, and 

 that the incidence of manatee harassment was increas- 

 ing, particularly at a small spring called Three Sisters 

 Spring located in a canal off Kings Bay. The Com- 

 mission also was advised that manatee harassment was 

 becoming a problem at Blue Waters near Homosassa 

 Springs. After reviewing the information, the Com- 

 mission wrote to the Service on 9 May 1996, recom- 

 mending, in part, that a new manatee sanctuary be 

 established at Three Sisters Spring and that the 

 Service, working with the state, increase enforcement 

 at both Kings Bay and the Homosassa River. 



During the winter of 1996-1997 the Service con- 

 ducted a study to document harassment levels in Kings 

 Bay. The results confirmed the need for protection at 

 Three Sisters Spring, and on 26 November 1997 the 

 Service published emergency rules in the Federal 

 Register to establish a new manatee sanctuary at that 

 site. At the same time it published a proposed rule to 

 make the new sanctuary permanent. Although less 

 than a half acre (0.2 ha) in size, the new sanctuary 

 encompasses the immediate spring discharge area that 



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