FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joe Rowland, Chief Marketing Officer
(843) 330-9777, press@paddlefishkayaking.com

Charleston, SC (March 31th, 2009) — “We were paddling over to the other side of the Ashley when we saw it. At first I thought it was a river otter, but once we got within a few kayak lengths from it, I knew it was a manatee. I could hardly believe it. Just seemed to early in the season for one to be here in Charleston. The folks on the tour were excited to see such a rare animal on their trip.” said Jacob Nickerson, senior kayak guide.

About an hour into the 3:30 guided kayak nature tour that launched from the Bristol Marina in Downtown Charleston, on Tuesday afternoon, a manatee was spotted near the highway 17 bridges that cross the Ashley River. The group was headed to the western side of the river when they spotted what was initially believed to be a river otter. Upon closer inspection they determined that the nose full of bristles was in fact a manatee.

Manatees are rarely seen in South Carolina waters. They are slow-moving, non-aggressive mammals that enjoy warm water and are known to migrate through brackish water in search of freshwater springs.

Although manatees have few natural predators, all three species of manatee are listed by the World Conservation Union as vulnerable to extinction. The current main threat to manatees in the United States is being struck with boats or slashed with propellers. Sometimes manatees can live through strikes, and over fifty deep slashes and permanent scars have been observed on some manatees off the Florida coast. However, the wounds are often fatal. It is illegal under federal and Florida law to cause the manatees injury or harm.

If you spot an injured, dead, tagged, or orphaned manatee, or if you see a manatee who is being harassed, call 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on your cellular phone, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio.

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Since 2004 PaddleFish has focused on connecting families to nature through first-class sea kayaking tours, powerboat excursions, and multi-day expeditions from unique destinations throughout the southeastern United States. Today, the company offers trips from five locations in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia including Charleston, Folly Beach, Kiawah & Seabrook Islands, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in western North Carolina, and Savannah. PaddleFish caters to first time paddlers and families traveling with children of all ages and abilities with more than 30 unique tours, including multi-day expeditions. For more information on PaddleFish eco-friendly tours, call PaddleFish at (843) 330-9777, email the company at info@paddlefishkayaking.com or visit www.paddlefishkayaking.com.