Holy sturgeon!

Jeff Summers, an officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was enjoying a day on the Suwannee River with his family last Saturday when he saw a three-foot-long sturgeon jump out of the water and land in a boat that was passing by.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt, except the fish of course. The boat sustained some minor damage, and the fish was returned to the water, apparently no worse for the wear.

But every year about this time reports such as this start to filter in from the Suwannee, one of the last breeding grounds of the rare Gulf sturgeon. The fish, once found throughout the Gulf of Mexico, is now largely confined to the West Florida River. State officials estimate that as many as 7,500 sturgeon, averaging about 40 pounds each, spend about two thirds of the year in the Suwannee.

The fish, which can get seven feet long and weigh more than 170 pounds, have had some pretty nasty collisions with people on personal watercraft in recent years. That is why state officials urge boaters to slow down during the spring and summer months when travelling along the Suwannee.

Nobody knows for sure why sturgeon jump. One theory is that they might be engaging in some type of dominance display. Another is that the fish are attempting to communicate. But then again, strugeon may jump simply because they are happy.

(Times photo - Lara Cerri, 2006. Click to enlarge.)

Comments

[Tim]

I had the same thing happen to me about 5 years ago leaving the boat ramp at the Gandy Bridge. As soon as I came on plane a sturgen jumped up hit the side of my boat and rolled in after a minute of reviving he was fine and swam a way...wish i could have said the same about my boat