Woman severely injured at Fort Myers Beach after being struck by boat propeller

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on August 22, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

FORT MYERS, Fla.– What started as another day on the boat, ended with a woman in the hospital being treated for serious injuries According to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation, 6 adults were on a boat along Fort Myers Beach when a woman fell into the water from the bow. She was struck by the propeller. Those onboard took the 29-year-old woman to the Pink Shell Resort boat dock. She was then transported to Lee Memorial with serious injuries. “When you’re part of a group, you have to watch and look out for each other and make sure no one is doing anything stupid because in...

VIDEO: Scarred manatee swimming along Gasparilla Island

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 12, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — Drone video shows a manatee with at least ten boat strike scars slowly swimming off the coast of Gasparilla Island State Park on Sunday. Collisions between manatees and boats have killed 63 of the well-known gentle giants in 2021 alone. Data provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission shows that 2021 is the deadliest year on record for manatees in the past half-decade. As of July 12, there have been 841 manatees confirmed dead in Florida waters. That’s a major increase from 2020, where only 637 manatees were killed during...

Collier County officials to remove 3 derelict boats

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 9, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla.– Collier County has applied for a grant to remove three derelict vessels one on factory bay, another on Keewaydin Island, and one-off Naples Bay. Related coverage: Cape Coral residents look to remove abandoned boats from waterways “It’s way long overdue, finally, there was funding,” Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro said. Commissioner LoCastro says there are many abandoned boats across Collier County but the three selected are a priority; they’re a navigational and environmental hazard. “There are several in my district that actually poses...

Tropical Storm Elsa churns Atlantic & helps uncover massive megalodon teeth

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 9, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — A keen shark tooth hunter hit the jackpot twice in three weeks after searching nearly every day for the past year. Jacob Danner, an art curator, found his first megalodon tooth — 3 inches long, and in good condition — three weeks ago on Fernandina Beach. He was ecstatic. Then, when Tropical Storm Elsa passed by on Thursday, he found another, 4-inch-long tooth. “It makes you want to spend your whole day hunting, thinking that more must be out there,” Danner said. Megalodon teeth are prized items for amateur collectors competing to get...

Florida Python Challenge kicks off in Everglades

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 9, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

The Florida Python Challenge kicks off on Friday, July 9 with a new prize up for grabs for participants. This year’s participants will have a chance at winning $10,000. So far, more than 450 people have signed up for the competition to remove invasive Burmese pythons from Florida’s Everglades, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The challenge is hosted by FWC, the South Florida Water Management District and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida under the leadership of Governor DeSantis. The purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness...

Collier officials find two mosquito species that are new to the area

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 9, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla.– Collier Mosquito Control District found two mosquito species in their traps that are new to Collier County. Scientists collected the invasive Aedes scapularis and Aedes tortilis. This increases the number of known mosquito species in Collier County to 48. The Aedes scapularis is a potential threat because it is capable of transmitting yellow fever and Venezuelan equine encephalitis. The district will continue to closely monitor their collection of mosquitos each week and will be keeping an eye out for this species. They...

Large plume of brown water from Elsa seen moving into the Gulf of Mexico

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 8, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Discolored water from Tropical Storm Elsa was seen over the Gordon River in Naples as it meets the Gulf of Mexico. The same thing is happening in Lee County. A similar plume meeting the waters of the Gulf of Mexico was seen at the Sanibel Causeway, as the freshwater makes its way from the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. When Dr. Barry Rosen from FGCU’s Water School first saw the aerial photos of the brown water, he wasn’t surprised. “I think thats a very natural phenomenon that happens when you have relatively clean ocean water and then...

VIDEO: Sea turtle hatchlings sprint to the sea in Charlotte County

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 8, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — A sea turtle nest in Charlotte County hatched recently, and county officials were lucky enough to capture the moment the hatchlings rushed to the water. The video shows the sea turtles crawl out of their nest and race towards the safety of the sea. Florida is home to many species of sea turtles. Beaches in Southwest Florida host three species: loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Each nesting season, local officials install temporary stakes and educational signs around nesting areas to create a buffer zone between humans and turtle nests. When...

Tropical Storm Elsa could worsen the blue-green algae situation in SWFL

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 5, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

New pictures taken over Lake Okeechobee show huge swaths of blue-green algae. The photos are a grim reminder that BGA is still present in Lake O and Tropical Storm Elsa could make things worse. “Our pilot flew the lake yesterday and there was about a 12 mile stretch of the lake where it was concentrated for sure,” John Cassani, from the Calusa Waterkeeper, said. On Monday, it was a windy, gloomy day at the Franklin Lock, hinting at the storm just beyond the horizon. “More runoff means more nutrient pollution, for the receiving waters, and that’s what fuels the blooms,”...

Coast Guard sets Key West port conditions ahead of Elsa

Written by Naples Mortgage Syndicated User on July 5, 2021. Posted in Naples Florida Mortgage, Naples Mortgage.

MIAMI, Fla. – The Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Key West set port condition Zulu for the Port of Key West ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa. The decision was made due to expected sustained gale force winds of 35 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. While port condition Zulu is in place no vessels may enter to transit within the port without permission of the COTP, according to a release from the Coast Guard. All vessel movements are prohibited and all ship-to-shore operations are being forced to stop until further notice. The Coast Guard is warning the public of these important safety messages:...

Tag: Environment