FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission: Managing fish & wildlife resources for their long-term well-being & benefit of people. Follow doesn't=endorsement
It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of Officer Julian Keen. Our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
#Officer
#Florida
#LawEnforcement
A couple of looters are behind bars with bonds of over $1M each! Our officers caught a couple loading items into a rental truck in hurricane-stricken Horseshoe Beach. Thanks also goes to our partners at Dixie County Sheriff’s Office for the arrest.
#Crime
In the words of our friends
@OKWildlifeDept
:
YOU are cold.
They are cold-blooded reptiles that go into TEMPORARY paralysis during this cold weather phenomenon. Do not let inside.
This is our first time participating in
@OKWildlifeDept
's
#garweek
so we want to make it count,
*deep inhale*
Our freshwater fisheries research team recently captured this 5-foot longnose gar while conducting routine sampling on the Apalachicola River.
On Friday, FWC officers assisted local, state, and federal authorities in the interdiction of a vessel approaching the coast of Miami-Dade County. Aboard the vessel, officers discovered approximately 30 illegal immigrants of Haitian nationality and two alleged human smugglers.
While seeing a bear swimming in the shallows of a crowded beach is unusual, to say the least, swimming is something that black bears are pretty good at!
It actually isn’t unusual to hear of black bears swimming in the Gulf, on their way to barrier islands in search of food
On Thursday, our staff rescued a distressed
#manatee
calf with buoyancy issues near Jacksonville. The animal was successfully rescued and taken to
@SeaWorld
for rehabilitation.
Spiny Lobster Sport Season allows recreational harvesters to enjoy delicious crustaceans before the regular season. Our officers caught a commercial vessel flying a dive flag while underway. Upon inspection, they found 138 lobsters, well over the daily limit. The fishermen were
ICYMI: After a 4 month long investigation, 3 individuals have been arrested in connection to the viral
#shark
dragging video. More info:
#news
#Florida
On Saturday, our staff rescued a small
#manatee
with bleaching and cold stress near Sanibel. The animal was successfully captured and transported to
@ZooTampa
for rehabilitation.
If people keep telling you, "but you're a catch!?"
...know that you are a valuable, endangered species and that's probably why you keep getting thrown back into the ocean.
On Thursday, our staff rescued a manatee with a penetrating wound and deformed flipper near Merritt Island. The manatee was successfully rescued and taken to
@SeaWorld
for rehabilitation.
Good news for Florida Manatees!
In 2023, Florida manatees had the lowest number of reported mortalities since 2017. Recently, Governor Ron DeSantis visited Blue Springs State Park to highlight Florida’s manatees and the successful combined efforts being made to protect this
The Commission recognizes Brandon Rahe, who removed a python and nest on July 7 in Everglades Francis S. Taylor WMA. The record nest had 111 eggs! Brandon is a contractor with the FWC's Python Action Team - Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC).
#FWC2023
Since we want you all to live your best lives,
We created Spspspsp license plates that look really cool on your car and will make people say, "wow! that guy really knows how to love panthers from a safe distance."
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all who have expressed their condolences and support in honor of Officer Keen. Watch one young man's tribute with a 1-mile run carrying the Blue Line Flag:
#FallenOfficer
#OfficerKeen
#LawEnforcement
Last month, our team responded to a report of a thin, lone manatee calf near Miami. The calf was successfully rescued and taken to
@ZooTampa
for rehabilitation and care.
Our officers are gathering all storm response resources & are getting ready to deploy to assist Floridians in need due to damage or flooding from Tropical Storm
#Debby
.
Listen to evacuation orders:
Over the past few weeks, our team has been hard at work rescuing manatees that have been affected by Hurricane Idalia.
First up,
five manatees entrapped in a residential canal system in Fort Myers were rescued and released nearby.
FWC officers stop vessel with multiple illegal Haitian immigrants, guns, drugs and night vision equipment near Sebastian Inlet. The illegal immigrants were given to the U.S. Coast Guard for repatriation.
Case details:
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Senior Investigator Kyle Patterson. We ask everyone for support and prayers for the family, friends and all of our FWC
#officers
and staff during this time.
#LawEnforcement
#EndofWatch
People and wildlife feel the effects of hurricanes. They can displace wildlife and push birds that spend most of their lives over the ocean towards coastal waters or even inland lakes.
In the days since the storm’s passing, Flamingos have been seen along the Gulf Coast from the
Happy Gopher Tortoise Day!
Today is dedicated to Florida’s only native tortoise. Individuals and organizations across Florida play an important role in helping us achieve our mission to conserve tortoises and the over 350 species that call their burrows home. Gopher Tortoise Day
The moon will be at peak brightness tonight and tomorrow night, so its prime time to spy mating horseshoe crabs at high tide.
Report
#horseshoecrab
sightings for science:
Remembering Roy McBride: Roy’s field surveys in the early 70s provided the very first status assessment of the Florida panther as a federally protected species. He served as Florida’s contract houndsman for 38 years, tracking panthers for both research and management needs and
On Tuesday, our staff responded to a report of a manatee entangled in a crab trap near Fort Myers. The animal was successfully rescued and taken to
@ZooTampa
for evaluation and treatment.
Our staff and partners around the state rescue, rehabilitate and release injured or orphaned manatees back into their natural habitat.
Let’s celebrate these heroes, and our manatees, with another successful manatee release!
We are in the peak of turtle nesting season and it’s not uncommon to find land turtles crossing roads while they search for nesting areas. You can help a land turtle by moving it across the road in the direction it’s heading (but only if it’s safe to do so!)
#EveryTurtleCounts
Over two days, our staff transported almost 900 coral colonies to the Keys Marine Laboratory! The state-of-the-art facility will care for the corals until conditions along the reef improve and the high ocean water temp comes down, then the corals can be returned to the nursery.
Earlier this month, our staff rescued a thin manatee seen rolling into a belly-up position near Crystal River. The manatee was successfully rescued and taken to
@SeaWorld
for rehabilitation.
With help from law enforcement, our Marine Mammal Response Team kept this stranded
#manatee
shaded & hydrated after her medical exam. When the water level rose, they walked her out until she could swim into the lagoon on her own!
#freedom
#rescue
#Florida
While patrolling our waterways, our officers encountered a vessel that hastily dropped their dive flag and sped away.
Officers uncovered over-the-bag limit, undersized hogfish and out-of-season wrung lobster tails hidden in the water.
Arrest warrants have been issued for two
This native Amazon
#ant
shows traits of both sexes (male=black half/female=red half). It's a rare sighting of bilateral gynandromorphism (say that 3X fast)! 📷 Daniel Roueche
On Sunday, our staff received a report of a lone
#manatee
calf near Pompano Beach. The calf was reported alone again Monday morning, and our team responded to successfully rescue the animal and transport it to
@SeaWorld
.
We appreciate your desire to help but please never feed
#manatees
. If done inappropriately, feeding wild manatees could be harmful & it’s
#illegal
. Our trained staff will feed manatees on a trial basis in consultation with manatee nutrition experts.
On Friday, Mote,
@ZooTampa
and our team rescued a manatee with signs of cold stress entrapped in a creek near Sarasota. The manatee was captured and taken to
@ZooTampa
for rehabilitation.
On Wednesday, our staff alongside partners from the
@BrevardZoo
rescued a lone, small
#manatee
in a ditch canal near Desoto. The animal was taken to
@SeaWorld
for rehabilitation.
Our officers discovered an active bird trap on a trail and with the assistance of a USFWS officer they set up surveillance. The surveillance revealed one suspect in possession of ten traps. The traps were seized and placed into evidence, hopefully ending his bird burgling days.
This burrowing owl decided to take a two-week holiday aboard
@RoyalCaribbean
's Symphony of the Seas, but don’t worry - our biologist Ricardo Zambrano swooped in to save the day!
K9 Jenny and her human partners caught a whiff of mischief while patrolling an area known to be popular with saw palmetto berry pickers.
Our officers arrived to find bags, baskets and backpacks filled with illegally harvested berries, a.k.a. drupes.
The berries were returned
Our coral reefs and reef fish need humans to help stop the invasion of lionfish, Florida’s most prolific marine invasive species! With your help, we have removed more than ✨ one million ✨ lionfish from Florida’s waters since the program began in 2014.
Want to learn more and
Our Lionfish Control Team has been working with Atlantic Lionshare, who developed an amazing deep-water ROV to reach, spear and remove
#lionfish
from waters deeper than 150 feet:
Our officers worked alongside the Department of Agriculture to clear debris in Jackson County so residents can access their homes.
@freshfromFL
#Hurricane
#Michael
On Sunday, our staff rescued a lethargic and unresponsive
#Manatee
near St. James City. The animal was transported to
@SeaWorld
and is considered a red tide suspect.
Each fall, Florida’s manatees start moving to warmer water sites around the state — show you’re in the know this Manatee Awareness Month by going slow & looking out below when on the water:
🛑 Follow all manatee protection zones when boating or on personal watercraft.
🛑 Wear
The
#manatee
mother-calf relationship is a long one. A calf spends about 13 months in their mother’s womb, and will remain by her side for up to two years!
The new “Protect the Panther” license plate is a stunner, featuring a photo by
@CarltonWard
of the now-famous first female panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973, along with her kitten.