Keys Treasures Blog » Middle Keys

Lobster Mobster Caught Off Grassy Key

Keys — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:07:17 +0000

By KEVIN WADLOW

http://www.keysnet.com

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Fifteen lobster tails were seized as evidence Monday when state wildlife officers arrested a St. Augustine man spearfishing near Grassy Key. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers charged Bruce L. Beall, 39, with 19 misdemeanor counts of conservation violations.

FWC officers checked Beall when they saw him spearfishing in Gulf of Mexico waters north of Grass Key, FWC spokesman Bobby Dube said. It’s illegal to spear lobster, and to separate tails from the lobster body on the water. All the tails were undersized and taken in a closed season, Dube said.

If the lobster had been egg-bearing, “he’d have had the whole set” of possible crawfish violations, Dube noted. The incident was the most serious conservation violation reported from the Memorial Day weekend in the Keys, the officer said.

Lobster season is closed from April 1 to the sport-diving days the last Wednesday and Thursday in July.

Pigeon Key Marine Summer Camp

Keys — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:15:53 +0000

The Pigeon Key Foundation offers marine science-based summer camps July 12 to 16 and Aug. 2 to 6 from the private island beneath the Old Seven Mile Bridge, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

Campers will explore marine habitats, learn to identify reef fish, study shark anatomy, dissection and much more.

There also will be guided snorkeling trips on the foundation's 40-foot catamaran and a competitive underwater obstacle course. Campers 10 years old and up can become certified divers through the program, as well.

For more information, call 203-500-7113 or go to http://www.Pigeonkey.net and click the events and forms link.

via Mile Markers | KeysNews.com.

Long Key State Park Hosts Peddle-Paddle

Keys — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:02:54 +0000

Bicyclists and kayakers are invited to the Long Key Bike-Kayak Ride and Paddle.

The free, family-friendly event, which participants can cater to their individual abilities, will be on June 5, launching at 10 a.m. from Long Key State Park at Mile Marker 67.5 oceanside.

A roundtrip bike ride through the park and over the historic Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail bridge, which at 2.3 miles is the second longest in the Keys, will be followed by a roundtrip paddle to Long Key Point.

Park entrance fees will be waived.

Contact Monica Woll at monica.woll@dep.state.fl.us or 305-360-0846, or Cristina Lindley at cristina.lindley@dep.state.fl.us or 305-360-2532 for information.

Sombrero Beach Park, Marathon, Florida Keys

Keys — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:29:48 +0000

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

Sombrero Beach in Marathon, Florida, may be the quintessential example of a multi-use beach. Am I talking swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, picnicking, volleyball, barbecuing, and climbing on playground playground equipment? Well, all those things can be done at this beach, but that’s not what I was referring to.

Sombrero is a multi-use beach because humans are not the only ones that use it. Between April and October each year, Loggerhead turtles crawl up onto the beach at night to lay their eggs in the sand. During these months, city workers remove tables and park benches from the beach, nesting areas are roped off, and local officials and volunteers patrol the beach at least once a day to ensure nests are not disturbed. The rest of the year belongs entirely to humans and their canine friends, who are welcome as long as they are leashed (the dogs, not the humans).

With soft white sand, gentle waters, and no crowds, Sombrero Beach is a favorite with locals and visitors.

Sombrero Beach is popular with vacationers and locals alike for a number of reasons. First, it is located about two miles down a residential street leading to the Atlantic Ocean side of Marathon, away from the main highway and traffic noise. On the west-facing portion of the beach, a wide ribbon of soft white sand fronts emerald waters that stay shallow for some distance before dropping off to deeper water, inviting use by both swimmers and families with toddlers. A rocky shelf along the left side of the beach attracts sea urchins, sponges, and tropical, making it an ideal snorkeling spot.

The south-facing portion of Sombrero Beach is perfect for romantic walks or viewing spectacular sunsets

At the southernmost point the beach takes a right turn. Graceful coconut palms line this part of the beach; the tips of their giant fronds drape the sand, providing welcome shade in the intense sunshine. A pier juts into the water beyond black boulders that line the shore, providing a perfect place to watch the setting sun.

Other facilities include picnic pavilions and tables, volleyball courts, barbecue pits, showers, changing areas, restrooms, and ample parking. An adjacent park has playground equipment for the kids. There is no fee to use the park or beach, and hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to sunset. Sombrero Beach is located at mile marker 50 in the Florida Keys, in the city of Marathon.

via Beach Travel Guide » Blog Archive Sombrero Beach Park, Marathon, Florida Keys – Beach Travel Guide.

Florida Keys Turtle Hospital Releases Loggerhead Seaturtle

Keys — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:44:22 +0000

Turtle Hospital officials are planning quite the going-away blowout for one loggerhead turtle that swam up to the docks behind the Marathon-based facility in late March. Florida Keys residents and visitors have been given a public invitation to join in the release of the 73-pound turtle, at 9:20 a.m. Sunday at Veteran’s Park on Little Duck Key, Mile Marker 40.

Dubbed “Kincaid,” the turtle has reached celebrity status, as the release will be televised live on the national “Fox and Friends” show on the Fox network. The turtle’s walk-in appointment turned into a stay of several months while staff veterinarians treated the lumbering reptile for an internal bacterial infection.

A regimen of antibiotics and vitamins was combined with a diet of raw squid. “He’s getting fat and he’s ready to go,” hospital Executive Director Ryan Butts said. At first thinking Kincaid was merely lost, the staff initially waited several hours before treating the turtle when he showed up at the dock of the world’s only licensed veterinary facility that treats turtles exclusively.

The federally protected endangered species is known for their large heads and powerful jaws, which allow them to feed on hard-shelled prey such as conch. The species also feeds on fish, crustaceans and other mollusks and marine animals. Adults grow to an average weight of about 200 pounds. The top shell, or carapace, is slightly heart-shaped, with a reddish-brown color. The outside and under-shell is generally a pale yellowish color.

Nesting season runs from about May through August, with nesting occurring primarily at night. Loggerheads are known to nest up to seven times within a nesting season.

tohara@keysnews.com

Gary Graves — Crab King of Keys Fisheries

Keys — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:21:36 +0000

Keys Voices has an excellent piece on one of the Middle Keys Treasures, Gary Graves. Gary is the owner of Marathon’s Keys Fisheries restaurant and manager of the fishing operation, has been with the business since it began more than 40 years ago. His fleet of boats ply the Florida Keys and surrounding waters capturing lobster & stone crabs for your dining pleasure. If you have eaten at Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant you should thank Gary for providing those sumptuous crab claws.

The on-site seafood market and restaurant, obviously, serve up the freshest seafood available. They are famous for their lobster Reuben, Gary came up with the dish after attending a meeting in Miami at Joe’s Stone Crab, where he was shown the version offered at Joe’s Take Away. About five months later, he created an over-sized sandwich at Keys Fisheries using lobster meat, homemade Thousand Island dressing and freshly baked bread. “Being such a huge producer of lobster as well as stone crabs, we have leftover meat from the lobster tails,” Gary explained. “So it dawned on me, why not make our own lobster Reuben?”

Like savoring the lobster Reuben, ordering at Keys Fisheries is a unique experience. Customers walk up to a window and place their order for pickup. But instead of being asked their name, as in most establishments, they’re asked the question of the day, which might require them to name their favorite song title, pet peeve or New Year’s resolution. When the order is ready, the customer’s answer is announced over the loudspeaker to signal that he or she can come collect the meal.

Read the rest of the story at Keys Voices.

What Were You Thinking Kerry Harrison??????????????

Keys — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:51:22 +0000

Here is a story as printed in a local paper, with my remarks added in red.

A woman and her 2-year-old daughter were found trying to swim miles to shore in the Florida Keys after spending the night on a boat that had run out of gas, Why would you ever leave a floating boat when you are miles at sea? Who puts their 2 year old in that kind of danger? Sounds more like a suicide attempt then an attempt at survival. according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Kerry Harrison and her toddler, both wearing life jackets, were picked up Wednesday afternoon by a boater and taken to Caloosa Cove on Lower Matecumbe Key.

Their ordeal began about 8 p.m. Tuesday, when they left a friend’s house on Key Colony Beach for the five-mile trip to their home in Marathon. But they never arrived. At 11 a.m. Wednesday, a worried friend called the Coast Guard and a search began with the assistance of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. The mother and daughter were found by the private boat at 1:30 p.m. The boat ran out of gas shortly after leaving Key Colony Beach. This boat must have had no gas. Harrison did not have a radio or cellphone. There are still people without cell phones?

Through the night, the boat drifted about 20 miles to the northeast, There wasn’t an anchor on board? All that water is less then 30′ deep, most less that 10′. ending up near Tennessee Reef Light off Lower Matecumbe Key in Islamorada. Sometime in the morning, the pair began the swim to shore, about four miles away.

”I’m extremely grateful they were located alive,” said Jim Olive, acting commander of Coast Guard Sector Key West. But he said in a statement the pair should have stayed with their boat. Duh!

There has got to be more to this story. Had she ever been in a boat before? Who let her take a boat with no gas? No radio? No signaling device?

Hopefully someone else will get custody of the child until her mom can get help.

New Marathon Boat Ramp Opens

Keys — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:42:04 +0000

A new boat ramp and marina bath house in the City of Marathon were officially opened to the public on Thursday.

It was a busy day for dedication ceremonies, as officials first opened the newly repaired 33rd Street boat ramp on Thursday morning. With the ramp back on line, the city now has three such public facilities within its borders. City officials hope the ramp will alleviate some of the stress from traffic on the Dodge Lake boat ramp, which is located in a residential neighborhood.

“This is another great benefit for the citizens and visitors of Marathon” said City Manager Clyde Burnett. The city’s third public boat ramp is located near The Island restaurant, north of Vaca Cut. [On the Gulf Side] All three public ramps have been fully repaired within the last three years.

The ramp at 33rd Street now features a 40 foot wide, pre-stressed launch, to replace the old 20 foot wide boat ramp. The parking lot was also repaved and the seawall was repaired. The parking lot and bathroom facility now comply with Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.

An hour later, officials headed across the highway to dedicate another convenience for boaters, a new 1,843 square foot bath and laundry building at the City Marina. The new bath house replaces facilities previously located in the main marina building. The bath house features card keys that allow boaters living in the harbor or on the seawall at the marina to gain access and pay for the laundry machines in the building.

Mangrove Marina in Tavernier and The Sombrero Resort and Marina in Marathon – Sold

Keys — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:44:22 +0000

Summit Development, a diversified real estate development company with offices in North Palm Beach, said today that it has acquired two prominent marina properties in the Florida Keys – Mangrove Marina in Tavernier and The Sombrero Resort and Marina in Marathon. Summit said it will undertake extensive renovations to upgrade both properties.

Robert Charney, who overseas Summit’s Florida operations, noted that Summit recognizes the importance both locations play in the Keys. “It is obvious that the deterioration of these two properties has been a cause for concern. We are well-financed and are confident that we can accomplish a repositioning of the two sites that will once again make them the valuable component of the Keys business community that they can and should be.”

Summit acquired the two sites from Sun Vest Communities, the successor to Cay Clubs. Robert Charney said: “We want to assure the Keys community and our visitors that under Summit’s ownership the two properties will be properly renovated so that they can regain their prominence in the community.”

• Mangrove Marina has 130 boat slips as well as rack storage, boat yard facilities, a fuel dock, boat launching ramp and a ships’ store. It is situated on the Inter-coastal Waterway and is protected on three sides by mangrove islands. Tavernier is about 12 miles south of Key Largo a 30-minute drive from the mainland.

•Sombrero Resort and Marina is midway between Key Largo and Key West. It includes a 54-slip marina as well as 124 one-bedroom condo-style suites and eight detached villas, “The Latitudes,” a full-service restaurant, tennis courts and a poolside tiki bar.

February 18, 1910

Keys — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:43:05 +0000

February 18, 1910, the Key West Citizen reported: ” Things are humming at the Long Key Fishing Camp. Mackerel and king fish are plentiful; so are the tourists.”

Keys Treasures Blog » Middle Keys

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