In 2023, North Atlantic right whale #1812 - War - gave birth to her seventh known calf along the shores of the Southeast United States. Her curious calf was spotted entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on June 22, 2024, by researchers with the Campobello Whale Rescue Team and colleagues.

I’m by no means a fisherperson. The few times Bucko tried to entice me into surf fishing I soon walked away and started looking for fossilized shark teeth and talking to strangers. That’s probably why I didn’t really learn about mole crabs (sand fleas) until recently.

The Atlantic to Okefenokee Conservation Corridor, more than 55,000 acres of potential conservation land known as the A2O, has been granted a significant approval. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) has approved the A2O for inclusion on the Florida Forever Priority List.

Every beach along our shore has different merits, and I try to visit them all. Recently, for the first time in many months, I parked my car at the Simmons Road access, and even though it was only 9 …

The border between Florida and Georgia rests in the middle of the St. Marys River, just north of Amelia Island. Being so close, I often follow the efforts of Georgia conservation groups. The June …

Last week we took our friend Sage, who was visiting from Austria, boating around Amelia Island. As we approached Egans Creek bridge, we witnessed a firetruck and two ambulances headed for the boat …

At an unassuming house in a local subdivision, a former peacetime Marine Corps infantryman positions his two telescopes on the driveway and executes his meticulously prepared approach, saying, …

Lots of our longtime residents on Amelia Island know that gopher tortoises, those lumbering creatures of the dunes, sometimes make their way to the sea. Occasionally, over the years, I, too, have …

I was almost too late to catch the horseshoe crab monitoring project on Amelia Island this spring but I managed to connect with local horseshoe crab survey team leader Kathy Mason right at the end …

Bucko and I were in a challenge this year: Who could come up with the best birthday outing for one another? A few weeks ago, we celebrated his milestone birthday in our favorite …

Tucked away behind the scenes of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is the Northeast Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) Marine Mammal Response Field Laboratory. FWC is part of the …

I had a big desire for my birthday this year. I wanted Bucko to go with …

In the fall of 1994, reports began to surface that a West Indian manatee was swimming in the Chesapeake Bay. The West Indian manatee is typically found in the warm waters of Florida …

The entrance walkway at Congaree and Penn. If you are looking for an interesting nearby Saturday or Sunday day trip, you might want to check out Congaree and Penn , a …

Last week, my friend Charlotte invited me to join her and a few others on a boat trip through the Okefenokee Swamp. My first thought was yes, I would love to go on a boat trip …

I spotted several manatees in the Amelia River. It is spring, and the West Indian manatee is on the move in Florida. It is common to see manatees in our region, especially …

I can’t believe that it was 17 years ago that I wrote a column in the News-Leader about Tony Lopez and the Florida …

I have a subscription to Newspapers.com. This allows me to search thousands of newspaper articles from around the world. Many newspapers have been digitized and date back hundreds of years. For a research geek like myself, this database provides me with endless hours of amusement and amazement.

When you’ve spent as many hours as the author has observing manatees from 750 feet, they become like family. This begins a 5-part series on manatees as our waters warm and they return for the season

My outdoor office in spring is enhanced with the sight and scent of a blooming wisteria vine. It’s my favorite time of year in our backyard. The air is warmish, but not hot and …