Nature’s Place to Play & Protect: How to ‘Love it Like a Local’ on Florida’s Adventure Coast
We believe that if you love exploring our beautiful rivers, forests and natural wonders here on Florida’s Adventure Coast, Brooksville – Weeki Wachee, you’ll want to help preserve it, too. Learn how to ‘love it like a local’ and recreate responsibly by following these tips, for enjoying all of our outdoor adventures from paddling and fishing, to hiking and off-roading.
- Protect the Water
Most delicate of all our environments in Hernando County is the Weeki Wachee River; this stunningly beautiful waterway is already facing peril due to erosion and heavy traffic along the banks of the river. Beaching vessels along the riverbanks can cause further harm to the vegetation and erodes the existing shoreline further.
Learn more about protecting the Weeki Wachee River
Most delicate of all our environments in Hernando County is the Weeki Wachee River; this stunningly beautiful waterway is already facing peril due to erosion and heavy traffic along the banks of the river. In July 2023, the Weeki Wachee Springs Protection Zone was established on the river between the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park headspring and the boat ramp at Rogers Park. Within this section of the river, all paddlers and boaters are prohibited from anchoring, mooring, beaching or grounding a vessel. Violators are subject to a $140 fine. Activities like swimming, snorkeling and floating on a raft or tube are permitted. Visitors are encouraged to use best practices to help protect the river such as not trampling vegetation, climbing on banks or trees, or discarding litter.
Weeki Wachee River
2. Keep the Wildlife Wild
Yes, we have seen your viral videos of racoons eating your snacks, and we’ve seen them steal things right off kayaks as well! As cute as they may be, please enjoy the wildlife from afar and do not encourage their bad behavior. Keep snacks and food securely stored to avoid unnecessary contact. Should you encounter a manatee in our local waters, set an example for others and do not touch them. These gentle giants are curious creatures, but by becoming too familiar with people and boats, they become more susceptible to harm or even death.
Manatees on the Weeki Wachee River
3. Make No Wake & Be Manatee Aware
No Wake zones exist to protect the shoreline as well as our wildlife, especially manatees. Boat strikes kill and injure hundreds of manatees every year; an occurrence so common that many manatees are identified using the propeller scars on their backs. By wearing polarized sunglasses and slowing down, you’ll be better able to spot manatees and enjoy other wildlife sightings as well. Visitors can respect manatees’ natural behavior and ensure their safety and protection by following ‘Manatee Manners.’
Paddling the Weeki Wachee River
4. Be Seagrass Safe
Seagrasses help maintain water clarity and provide food and shelter for many species of marine life. The seagrasses along Florida’s Adventure Coast are so essential in fact, that a new aquatic preserve aimed at protecting them was designated in 2020. The amount of light that can reach these plants limits them to shallow, coastal area, where they are at risk of being damaged or “scarred” by boat propellers. Use navigational channels and become familiar with local nautical tide charts to avoid the shallow, seagrass areas.
Boating Tips – How to protect seagrass and what to do if you run aground
Seagrass
5. Recycle Your Monofilament
Casting a line? Be sure to retrieve all your fishing line and don’t leave it behind to endanger wildlife. Florida’s Adventure Coast has fishing line receptacles at all boat ramps and waterways for your convenience. These tubes are emptied regularly by citizen-scientists and the monofilament recycled to make other plastic products.
6. Get Involved
Florida’s Adventure Coast is a beautiful and diverse destination with unlimited opportunities to explore off the beaten path. Want to make an even greater impact during your visit? Sign up for the annual Coastal Cleanup, volunteer with the Friends of Weeki Wachee or join a Florida SpringsWatch study trip on the Weeki Wachee River. And by simply setting a good example, you are leaving a positive impact. Have fun and love it like a local!
