Tag: Gulf of Mexico

Rare pink meanies, with 70-foot tentacles, invade Emerald Coast

Beachgoers on Florida’s Emerald Coast are being warned not to enter the water because of an influx of jellyfish—and rare pink meanies.

Beachgoers on Florida’s Emerald Coast are being warned not to enter the water because of an influx of jellyfish, which in turn has attracted an abundance of rare pink meanies.

Purple flags, which inform the public that dangerous marine life has been spotted, have flown for 46 straight days, and more than 100 jellyfish stings have been reported in the past 40 days, though many more likely have gone unreported, according to WEAR-TV.

The giant pink jellyfish, with some tentacles as long as 70 feet, first turned up in the Gulf of Mexico in 2000, and scientists then believed it was native to the Mediterranean. But in 2011, scientists determined the Gulf version was an entirely new species, as reported by AL.com.

Also on FTW Outdoors: ‘Blockhead’ who posed for photo with wild horse is kicked…and cited

The species is so named because it truly is a meanie, attacking and feeding on other jellyfish, like the moon jellyfish, sometimes eating 34 at a time. Narcity.com reported they are “pretty scarce to come by in the Gulf waters.”

“The jellyfish species is considered generally not dangerous to humans, but if you get stung it will likely be painful,” WEAR-TV stated.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjVZzX2rzLv/

Pink meanies are one of the most rare jellyfish species and are usually found when blooms of jellyfish are abundant, wrote Dimensions.com, adding that they weigh between 30 to 50 pounds, with a bell width of 30-36 inches and a bell height of 22-27.2 inches.

Photos courtesy of South Walton Fire District.

[listicle id=1969738]

Suspected poacher caught with 2,611 pompano over the limit

A commercial fisherman in Florida has been cited for unlawful use of a gill net in a restricted area and possessing 2,611 pompano over the allowable limit.

A commercial fisherman in Florida has been cited for unlawful use of a monofilament gill net in a restricted area and possessing 2,611 pompano over the allowable limit.

Ronald Edward Birren, captain of the 48-foot vessel Legacy, was confronted by officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in federal waters, 5.5 miles south of the Pompano Endorsement Zone inside the Gulf of Mexico.

The net was aboard the boat, bristling with its catch.

The boat was escorted back to Everglades City, where FWC officers determined that the net contained 2,711 pompano. (Fishermen outside the endorsement zone are allowed up to 100 pompano as bycatch.)

The weight of the catch was nearly 4,000 pounds. Some of the fish were undersized.

Birren, 52, of Hernando Beach, was cited for possession of more than the allowable bycatch limit, and undersized pompano.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Recent catch outside Yellowstone National Park is cause for alarm

The FWC did not disclose the day Birren was cited, but in a news release issued Monday, Maj. Alberto Maza, FWC South Region B Commander, stated: “Our officers are dedicated to protecting our state and federal fishery resources. Violations such as this one highlights the importance of the work that these men and women do every day.”

Monofilament gill nets are banned in Florida state waters and restricted in federal waters. Violations pertaining to their use in state waters constitute third-degree felonies.