It might soon be against the law to let go of a balloon in Florida: Explanation of balloon release bans

Posted on by Melissa P | 11860 Views | 10 min read

Woman releasing balloons – Photo: Song_about_summer/Shutterstock.com Florida may soon impose fines for willfully launching a balloon into the sky if the state is successful in tightening its regulations around littering. It’s a component of a larger initiative that includes legislation in at least eight other states to safeguard wildlife, birds, dolphins, and turtles from ingesting

Amidst an ongoing mortality crisis, about 1,000 manatees gathered at a record-breaking number at a Florida state park

Posted on by Mike D. | 18568 Views | 14 min read

Manatees Close-Up Portrait – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Andrea Izzotti Manatees in Florida have been fighting for their lives for the past few years, but a few days ago, the species provided a piece of more positive news from one state park. A few dozen miles north of Orlando, in Blue Springs State Park,

The largest known deep-sea coral reef, larger than Vermont, has been mapped off the coast of Florida

Posted on by Melissa P | 11390 Views | 10 min read

Coral reef – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Goinyk Production The largest coral reef in the world is located hundreds of miles off the Atlantic coast of the United States, and scientists have mapped it. Although some coral has been known to exist off the Atlantic coast since the 1960s, its exact quantity was unknown

New study identifies several potential invasive species in Florida

Posted on by Chris J. | 16116 Views | 13 min read

Invasive species alert sign — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Jules Johnson A study headed by scientists at the University of Florida sought to identify species that might be invasive to the state.  The group of specialists examined 460 species, comprising scientists, government entities, and nonprofits. Based on their propensity to establish and proliferate throughout

A very uncommon white alligator is born in Gatorland

Posted on by Melissa P | 18511 Views | 7 min read

White alligator born in Gatorland (Not pictured) — Courtesy: Shutterstock — You Touch Pix of EuToch A Florida park with an alligator theme has given birth to an extremely uncommon kind of white alligator and is currently asking the public for suggestions on a name. The pale leucistic gator had just broken out of its

Records are broken by sea turtle nests on U.S. beaches in Florida

Posted on by Krystal S | 19263 Views | 23 min read

Sea turtle hatchlings on beach – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Julian Wiskemann Thousands of sea turtles have spent the last few months making the arduous journey from the ocean to beaches in the United States to deposit their eggs, just as they have done for millions of years. Despite mounting concerns about the challenges

A newly discovered species of snail was discovered close to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

Posted on by Krystal S | 19835 Views | 11 min read

Margarita Snail (Not pictured) found in Southernmost Point Continental USA at Key West, Florida. The picture shows the famous landmark of the southernmost point of the USA. Photo and Caption: Dennis Kartenkaemper Near the home of citrus margaritas, a new species of snail that resembles a vivid, citrus-colored species was found off the coast of

Upon the discovery of a bear at Disney World, portions of Magic Kingdom were closed

Posted on by Krystal S | 31907 Views | 9 min read

Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL. — Courtesy: Shutterstock — dorengo5 According to a press release from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, a bear that forced partial closures at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Monday was safely captured and is being transferred. “In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space

Reports of flamingo sightings are flooding in from areas where the birds are not often seen. Hurricane Idalia could be to blame

Posted on by Chris J. | 29685 Views | 15 min read

Close up of flamingos — Courtesy: Shutterstock — PaniYani When you think of a flamingo, you presumably envision watering holes in Africa, the Caribbean, or Florida–or almost anywhere else besides Waynesville, Ohio. Therefore, last week, when Jacob Roalef saw Facebook posts about flamingos at Ceasar Creek State Park near Dayton, he hurried to see them

An enormous 13-foot, 920 pound alligator is caught in Central Florida

Posted on by Melissa P | 22868 Views | 14 min read

Close up of an alligator in the Florida Everglades — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Thierry Eidenweil A Central Florida alligator hunting guide reportedly caught the gator of a lifetime, which weighed an incredible 920 pounds and was 13 feet long. With more than 20 years of gator hunting experience, Kevin Brotz runs Florida Gator Hunting as