That article is a bit misleading to say the least. Especially the paragraphs about GUE and the WKPP.Originally Posted by Greenwood_60
Welcome to the Cave Diver's Forum.
That article is a bit misleading to say the least. Especially the paragraphs about GUE and the WKPP.
Pretty understandable considering that most of the arguements on opposition of diving at Wakulla Spring are misleading, to say the least.
Then why not counter with facts and data instead of more misleading/ untrue comments?
Pot, meet kettle.
Since I cant see the article, could someone post it or PM the contents to me?
"Have you ever noticed
When you're feeling really good
There's always a pigeon
That'll come shiat on your hood?" John Prine 4-7-2020
"Into the blue again; in the silent water
Under the rocks, and stones; there is water underground" Talking Heads
Editor, The News:
I have recently been informed of a webpage that allows people to submit letters in support of closing Wakulla Springs to Cave diving.
The page has been created in connection with the “Friends of Wakulla Springs” and is designed to automatically send a letter, on their behalf, to members of the Florida government and the Department of Environmental Protection.
The webpage cites divers as destructive to manatees and other life found in caves. A great deal of research has been done in cave systems around the world that dispute these claims.
Numerous other dive sites around the world also exist with similar life and conditions. Divers do not have a negative impact in those places and they wouldn’t affect manatees at Wakulla.
In fact, some of the most successful relationships between people and manatee occur at dive sites in Florida. Manatee Springs, Weeki Wachee and others all have large populations of manatee as well as large populations of divers – much larger than the numbers which have been estimated at Wakulla.
Even the “Friends of Wakulla Springs” have posted photos of divers at Wakulla interacting with manatees in their July 2011 newsletter.
Anyone who is a diver knows well that the threat to manatee are boats, not divers. In fact, when the Florida DEP held a public conference on opening Wakulla, many divers visited Wakulla for the wild boat tours. They witnessed manatees being run over, at low speed, by the tour boats three times!
They argue that the boats have protective covers on the propeller but I somehow doubt the concussion of a boat hull and its protrusions (motor guard, etc.) feels very good to the manatee.
This campaign from the “Friends” is full of misleading statements and intended to capture the hearts of environmentalists who don’t know any better. The cave community is largely environmentalists and we don’t want to see the destruction of the caves or the life that lives there.
Currently one group of divers is allowed unrestricted access to Wakulla. They have reported spending 300,000 hours diving there. To be a member of that diving group requires you to take all of your training from Global Underwater Explorers (GUE). To do GUE training requires you to buy all Halcyon brand equipment. Halcyon equipment is sold primarily through one store, Extreme Exposure in High Springs.
Do you know who owns all three of those businesses? The same person who is the leading individual for the WKPP, the only group of divers allowed in Wakulla and also a member of the “Friends” of Wakulla Springs. One individual benefits financially from Wakulla being closed. The public and the wildlife benefits from it being open.
Please, don’t visit/use the webpage allowing people to blindly support a cause for which they are largely uninformed. There is far more going on here, scientifically, financially and politically than the manatees. No one wants them harmed, least of all divers.
Thank you for your time.
Travis Kersting
Crawfordville
Ain't it more like, Pot, meet kettle, meet pot?
After all, the arguement was never to get Wakulla closed to WKPP. It was to keep Wakulla closed to everyone else, with a resounding farse of divers endangering manatees to the brink of extinction - LOL... or that gas station analogy.
Its pretty apparent that these things are happening both ways and I don't think the author of that article started it.
No, but I think if you're going to write something that opposes misleading statements, the statements in the writing shouldn't be misleading.
Things like this "To be a member of that diving group requires you to take all of your training from Global Underwater Explorers (GUE). To do GUE training requires you to buy all Halcyon brand equipment" are boldface lies, and someone (me, in this case) needs to call out complete lies and 'keep it real'. The majority of people who read that will take it as fact, and that's just not right.
I don't support people giving "convenient inaccuracies" on either side of the fence.
Thanks AJ. Yeah, some of this is just boowah. Now I'm off to harass a few manatees.
Manatee Goosers Unite!
Goosin' them huge manatee, goosin' them tiny,
Goosin them medlin' manatee, in they hinny!
Look at them manatee goosers, Ain't they dumb?
Some use an umbrella, some use they thumb.
(My apologies to Mason Williams)
"Have you ever noticed
When you're feeling really good
There's always a pigeon
That'll come shiat on your hood?" John Prine 4-7-2020
"Into the blue again; in the silent water
Under the rocks, and stones; there is water underground" Talking Heads
I ran this article past 3 individuals, involved in the negotiation process with the DEP, before posting it. It was simplified and targeted at the local community to which the paper is distributed. Several things were also omitted by the editor to save space (including a photo of WKPP divers w/ Manatee).
The allegations from those opposed to cave diving include things far more misleading and they target people who don't have a clue as to what is going on. My letter targets people who largely have no idea about cave diving but are at least local to the community.
My statements about the WKPP were, to the best of my knowledge, correct (although a bit exaggerated). I discussed this with several people in the cave community before sending it in. I am aware that Halcyon equipment is not a requirement although it does make up a large amount of their equipment. For the people this article was targeted to it was good enough given the limit on article size.
(if you visit, http://www.globalunderwaterexplorers...WKPP/equipment and you are a member of the non diving or non cave diving public then it's easy to conclude what equipment/ training is required to be WKPP )
So far, from what news papers I have read, people against Wakulla being open to diving have supplied 8 articles. However, only 3 have been posted in support. Again, this is my observation as I don't read every paper.
I would encourage each of you to write letters to the editor as well. Arguing it online to the cave community will be far less affective than arguing your points to the locals here who have been brainwashed to believe divers want to kill manatee, interrupt swimming, stop the boats, have cave crawfish boils, etc.
To be a member of that diving group requires you to take all of your training from Global Underwater Explorers (GUE). To do GUE training requires you to buy all Halcyon brand equipment.Sounds to me that you have knowledge that they're incorrect.
Halcyon is one of at least NINE different gear manufactures listed within the links you posted.
The diving is highly restricted and requires a plan filed with the state a few days before diving as well as a detailed dive debrief.Currently one group of divers is allowed unrestricted access to Wakulla.
That's a number for the ENTIRE WKP, including private property.They have reported spending 300,000 hours diving there.
Manatee Spring is closed to divers when a Manatee is in the head spring. I don't know how this is successful, other than the fact that there happens to be a nearby connecting sink. I suppose any time there's a Manatee in the Wakulla river they could close Wakulla and say Emerald is open, if that's what you define as successful.In fact, some of the most successful relationships between people and manatee occur at dive sites in Florida. Manatee Springs, Weeki Wachee and others all have large populations of manatee as well as large populations of divers – much larger than the numbers which have been estimated at Wakulla.
Casey is listed as the project director, and to my knowledge has no financial stake in Extreme Exposure, and isn't even a GUE instructor, but has publicly stated that he donates time (unpaid) to be a GUE board member.Do you know who owns all three of those businesses? The same person who is the leading individual for the WKPP, the only group of divers allowed in Wakulla and also a member of the “Friends” of Wakulla Springs. One individual benefits financially from Wakulla being closed. The public and the wildlife benefits from it being open.
Also, I don't quite understand how closing dive sites financially benefits a dive shop or gear manufacture owner. Makes as much sense as saying airlines profited the day after 9/11 when the grounded all planes. WKPP is such a small number of EE or Halcyon customers that I doubt they change the bottom line at all. Given the sponsorship that EE/Halcyon provide, I'd bet they lose money.
Halcyon is sold at over 50 dealers in the US aloneHalcyon equipment is sold primarily through one store, Extreme Exposure in High Springs.
http://www.halcyon.net/us-dealers
In the end you managed to twist the truth and not provide a single reason for allowing diving. If that was your goal, good job. A bit of advice, if you want to show successful interactions between Manatees and divers, use Crystal River in your next letter. If you want to show how divers have had a positive effect on the cave environment, talk to Cindy Butler or Mike Poucher about their Manatee project. There are honest ways to make your argument, you just chose not to use them.
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