Throughout the summer, eight more people reported injuries from sturgeon encounters. You might get to see a leaping Gulf sturgeon. Biologists aren't sure why they jump, but they assure boaters that the fish aren't trying to attack people.Boaters are urged to wear life jackets and avoid the bow of the boat to avoid injury.Be in the know. Adult fish spend eight to nine months each year in the river, spawning in May, and then return to the Gulf during the coolest months to feed.While it is possible for sturgeon to jump anywhere in the river, the fish in the Suwannee are more commonly observed jumping where they gather in “holding” areas. Apparently th… However, a few can exceed 170 pounds. Last month, a 14-year-old was knocked unconscious by a sturgeon while boating with her family. While it is … The Suwannee River is the site of the prehistoric Suwanee Straits which separated peninsular Florida from the panhandle. After spawning they fall back into deep holes and rest there until the fall when they return to the ocean to feed. Sturgeon can leap more than 7 feet out of the water. Four people have been injured by jumping sturgeon this year, including two boaters who were taken to the hospital Friday. This year's low levels are causing the sturgeon to jump more frequently than in recent years. The Suwannee remains a fairly wild, undammed river, flowing about 246 miles out of the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia and across northern Florida.
In 2007, a leaping sturgeon severely injured a 50-year-old woman from St. Petersburg as she was riding a personal watercraft along the Suwannee River. The large, prehistoric-looking sturgeon have hard plates along their backs. Adult fish spend eight to nine months each year in the river, spawning in May, and then return to the Gulf during the coolest months to feed. This allows the sturgeon to maintain neutral buoyancy. But don't expect a pick next weekFlorida teen charged as "mastermind" behind massive Twitter hackHurricane warning issued for parts of Florida as Isaias loomsEllen DeGeneres producers accused of sexual misconductBattleground Tracker: Latest polls, state of the race and more5 things to know about CBS News' 2020 Battleground TrackerBattleground Tracker: COVID reshapes presidential race in Sun BeltDNC hopes to reach more voters with new voter file model And boaters are always encouraged to wear their life jackets at all times while on the water.Researchers have determined that the sturgeon jump to communicate with other fish and to gulp air to fill their swim bladders. From very few fish in the early 1980s, the Suwannee River population of Gulf sturgeon may now have around 10,000 adults.
Biologists aren't sure why they jump, but they assure boaters that the fish aren't trying to attack people. An Alachua man was injured Saturday by a jumping sturgeon on the Suwannee River. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey have reported that the fish began returning to the north Florida river in January because of the warm winter.During 2017, there were three reported sturgeon strikes, resulting in minor injuries to those involved. And on the Suwannee River north of Fanning Springs on Friday, scientists were netting, measuring and … The headwaters of the Suwanee River are in the Okefenokee Swamp in the … From very few fish in the early 1980s, the Suwannee River population of Gulf sturgeon may now have around 10,000 adults.If you go boating on the Suwannee River in the summer, go slow. Her mother and 9-year-old brother were also injured and taken to a Gainesville hospital. Dr. Sulak is Scientist Emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Gainesville, Florida.