Navarre residents Stephanie and Chris Kadletz are using their experience in marine and zoological sciences to help bring their clients’ aquarium ideas to life.
Navarre Beach was the host site of a homecoming of sorts last week. Aaliyah, a juvenile green turtle, was released into the Santa Rosa Sound near Opal Beach after spending the last few weeks at the Gulfarium recovering from injuries.
Walkers who are as slow as loggerhead turtles and runners as fast as spotted eagle rays are sought for the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary’s “Run for the Reef,” a 5K for adults and 1 mile fun run for kids. Organizers hope the October 13 event will raise more than $6,000 for the group’s artificial snorkeling and diving reefs and related improvements at Navarre Beach Park.“
With several complaints about anglers spearfishing near the reefs on Navarre Beach recently, residents and visitors are being reminded that spearfishing is prohibited in that area, per Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules.
It is widely known that famed Apache warrior Geronimo was imprisoned with other male members of his tribe at Fort Pickens. Many people, however, are unaware that opportunistic residents of Pensacola successfully petitioned to keep the group, which was originally headed to St. Augustine, at Fort Pickens. That change forced the Apache men into a painful separation from their families, who were transported as planned to Fort Marion, where they were held with hundreds of other Apaches as prisoners of war.
The primary Wave Runner jet ski used by the Navarre Beach Fire Department will now be easily identified as search and rescue when on the water, thanks to a local business. The NBFD recently had fishing lures and lines tossed its way while searching for a missing swimmer last month, and decided to upgrade their water rescue vehicles with flashing lights to make them more identifiable as fire department personnel.
Line entanglement can pose a great risk to sea turtles. For this reason, local marine life experts say that anglers should know proper protocol for accidentally hooking a turtle, especially when fishing from a pier.
A recent trend of stingray incidents on Navarre Beach conjures memories of this writer’s own run-in with a ray – and better yet, of the advice on how to avoid being injured by these sea creatures.
