Published on Dec 4, 2016 A close encounter with several endangered Key Deer on Florida’s Big Pine Key. They are very tame. We never fed any of these animals. We stayed in the house for 10 days and I think they just grew accustomed to us. It got to the point where they would walk … Read more
The number of Key deer deaths due to New World screwworm infestation has remained stable at 132 for more than a week; however, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials are remaining diligent with protection measures to save this endangered species. The screwworm outbreak has increased the normal mortality rate within the small population of … Read more
The fearsome screwworm is back. Federal officials have identified a small outbreak of the insect, also known as the New World screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), in a population of deer and possibly some pets in Big Pine Key, Florida. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed that the pest … Read more
Marked by a series of mooring buoys, the remains of the Adolphus Busch, a 210-foot freighter, lay 6 miles southwest of Big Pine Key. The vessel was originally named Ocean Alley but was later renamed Adolphus Busch after the senior member of the Busch brewing family. This ship was intentionally sunk in 100-feet of water … Read more
Want to get to know Key West wildlife? (And no, we’re not talking about nightly festivities at Sloppy Joe’s on Duval Street.) If you’re the kind of person who always puts the local zoo on your travel itinerary, or who fumbles over your camera every time a squirrel or lizard make an appearance during vacation, … Read more
The following is a sample of some of the Florida Keys Summer Camps. Marathon sailing Summer sailing in Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor will begin with the first two week session beginning June 13 – June 24. Each session will consist of 10 three hour classes in either the morning (9am –Noon) or afternoon (1‐4pm). Younger sailors (5‐8 … Read more
Florida’s unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in April 2016, down 0.2 percentage point from the March 2016 rate of 4.7 percent, and down 0.7 percentage point from 5.2 percent a year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in April. Florida’s unemployment rate has been less than or equal to the national rate for 26 … Read more
Key deer were almost hunted to extinction. By 1950, as few as 25-50 of the animals were left. But the creation of the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key and protection under the Endangered Species Act have led to a comeback. The most recent population study estimates the herd at 900 to 1,000. “They … Read more
Kate Watts monitors vegetation in the pine rockland ecosystem on Big Pine Key. Watts serves as Lead Wildlife Biologist for the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex, overseeing biologists, technicians and interns at the refuges in the lower Keys. “Although a scientist by trade, I find that it is extremely important to translate the technical … Read more
The Grimal Grove horticultural property at 258 Cunningham Lane was the brainchild of the late Adolf Grimal, an avid tropical fruit tree collector. During his time, Grimal turned the roughly 2-acre site into his own garden oasis. Over time, though, after his passing, the property eventually succumbed to wild overgrowth and hefty code violation fines. … Read more
The Lower Florida Keys have some well-known destinations. Lying between the Middle Florida Keys and Key West, with Big Pine Key’s Key Deer and Bahia Honda State Park’s beaches as well as one of the top diving spots, Looe Key, will keep visitors busy and happy. There are also many historic locations to satisfy any … Read more
Tired of the hustle and bustle of your life? Have you tried PaddleBoarding? Charlie make it look easy in this video of one of his adventures in Big Pine Key. You can choose to get a workout or just relax and enjoy the beautiful outdoors in the paradise we know as the Florida Keys.
A Summerland Key [Lobster Mobster] fisherman [in the past he has been identified as from Big Pine Key] arrested in October 2014 for lobster fishing with hundreds of illegal traps was arrested again Thursday for lying on a wildlife form about his marine violation history, according to court records. Lobster Mobster – David Lee Boggs, … Read more
Road trips don’t come more spectacular than the Overseas Highway. Sailing through tropical savanna over the Florida Straits, it links Miami on the mainland with the 180-kilometer-long Florida Keys island chain. Most visitors head straight to Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States, but if they stopped along the way they’d find secluded … Read more
Florida Keys Beaches I recently took an extended road trip down the East coast from West Virginia, ending magnificently in the Florida Keys. Anyone who has traveled down that way, knows that the Keys can be quite expensive to stay in. So money for activities does not have to be that much thank goodness, there … Read more
Florida Keys plants move closer to being Endangered Species. In accordance with a landmark settlement agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that four increasingly rare plants in Florida may qualify for Endangered Species Act protection. The Big Pine partridge pea, wedge spurge, sand flax and Blodgett’s … Read more
The Chica Travelsita, Travel Blogger and Travel Agent explores the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West! She stays at The Casa Morada in Islamorada, explores the waters with Upper Keys Sport Fishing and The Florida Fisherman and experiences delicious food and drinks at Lorelei’s Restaurant and Bar, Bitton Bistro and The Square Grouper. … Read more
BY KEVIN WADLOW A Big Pine Key man confessed to the Friday shooting death of an endangered Key deer, state wildlife officers report. Grant M. Wilson, 33, was arrested Saturday on a felony count of killing a protected species. Officer Jeremy Foell of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated. “Mr. Wilson advised … Read more
Five out of the top 10 fishing destinations are in Florida. Fishing trips and vacations are big business in the U.S. each summer, and this week the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, and its Take Me Fishing campaign, is unveiling the 2015 Top 100 Family-Friendly Places to Fish and Boat. Florida’s Everglades National Park is … Read more
By Michael Quirk Key West Citizen Students encountering sharks has been a tagline for cheesy horror flicks over the years. It became a reality recently when Newfound Harbor Marine Institute at Seacamp and Sharks4Kids Inc. hosted six female students from Sugarloaf Middle School for its “Young Women in Marine Science” program. The two-day experience held at … Read more