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Twiggy, the Water
Skiing Squirrel, to Share Safety Message at the Savannah
International Boat Show
Savannah, GA – As seen in popular movies Anchorman
and Dodgeball as well as on David Letterman, Twiggy, the famous
water skiing squirrel will appear at the Savannah International Boat
Show, February 29-March 2, 2008 at the Savannah International Trade
and Convention Center.
Twiggy's owner and trainer, Lou Ann Best, explains that
her husband's tragic drowning accident years ago is what prompted
her to include the message of water safety in Twiggy's performances.
Twiggy now wears a safety jacket when water-skiing and encourages
audiences to do the same, in hopes that this message will save the
lives others. Recently, Twiggy signed on with Progressive Insurance
Company as their official spokesperson on water safety. Lou Ann
states, "If we're able to save one life, it's worth it!"
Twiggy will make special appearances throughout the
Show. The schedule is as follows:
Friday: 2pm & 5pm
Saturday: 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5pm
Sunday: Noon, 2pm & 4pm
Show Information:
What: The Savannah International Boat Show
When: February 29-March 2, 2008
Where: Savannah International Trade & Convention Center
What Time: Fri: 12-7 p.m. Sat: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sun: 11 a.m.
- 6 p.m.
The Savannah International Boat Show is presented by Mercury
Mercruiser and sponsored by GMC. Other promotional partners include
WTOC, Adventure Radio, and Savannah Morning News. For more details,
please visit
www.SavannahInternationalBoatShow.com.
Tickets: $8 for adults; Children 10 and under free; $5 after
5pm
February Dolphinfish
Research Program;
Examining the 2007 Tag Recoveries
Reported tag
recoveries were at an all time high in 2007 with 72 such reports. As
reported in last month’s newsletter, tag recoveries are the
testimony to dedicated tagging. Anglers off Florida tagged 74% of
the fish that were recovered, but it was Florida anglers who
recovered 59% of the tagged dolphin reported. South Carolina anglers
tagged 17% of the fish recovered (zones 5 and 6) while recovering
only 3% of the recovered tags (zone 6). North Carolina anglers
reported recovering 27% of the tags recovered, but none of the 24
dolphin tagged (0.9% of total fish tagged) off their coast were
recovered. Table 1 on page 2 shows the dispersal pattern of
dolphinfish from each zone via the recoveries of tagged fish.
Not all of the recoveries were fish marked in 2007 nor
were all recoveries functional. Two reports involved fish tagged in
previous years, 2005 and 2006, while four recoveries did not have
their tagging report card turned in. This left 66 tagged dolphin
recoveries for use in the 2007 recovery analysis that follows.
Fast-paced travel remained a landmark of the dolphin
movements in 2007. Nine tagged fish recaptures (14% of the
recoveries) exhibited average daily travel rates of 50 miles or
more. The fastest travel was a fish that moved from Marathon,
Florida, to Ft. Pierce, Florida, in 4 days for a rate of 84 miles
per day, which is well below the record of 130 miles per day. At the
rate of 50 miles per day a dolphin could transit the entire length
of Federal waters in the South and Mid-Atlantic Bight (normal East
Coast Range), roughly 1,600 miles, in just 32 days. Even at the rate
of 20 miles per day, the fish would be under U.S. jurisdiction for
less than 3 months.
Traveling 500 miles is a long distance even with
today’s conveniences, but it is more daunting when it is traveled by
a fish. Twelve of the tagged dolphin recovered in 2007 had traveled
500 miles or more. This represents 18% of the 2007 tag recoveries.
Most of these movements involved fish tagged off south Florida and
the Florida Keys, but two recoveries involved fish released in the
Bahamas and off South Carolina. The longest distance between the
release site and the recovery point was for a fish tagged off
Marathon, Florida, and recovered 855 miles north off Oregon Inlet,
North Carolina.
Read the full newsletter here |
