I Found A Critically Endangered Sawfish with Spinning Fish Syndrome Florida Keys March 25th

I Found A Critically Endangered Sawfish with Spinning Fish Syndrome Florida Keys March 25th from my kayak while trying to land my first giant tarpon.
This happened near Geiger Key March 25th 2024
After 20 minutes of watchig the sawfish it slowly and gracefully went back into the depths. FWC has removed 28 dead sawfish from the keys in just a few months.
Sawfish are a critically endangered species, Florida has done a good job managing them over the last decades making Florida the last stronghold for sawfish in the United States. My homestate of Texas had two species of 20 foot long sawfish go into exctinction in our waters mainly due to overharvest and habitat loss.
Sawfish can live to be over 35 years old, dont reach sexual maturity until about 10 years old and infrequently reproduce, creating up to a dozen offsping each time.
I had all but given up on seeing a sawfish in my lifetime until this happened.
#fishing
#spinningfish
#florida
#sawfish
#conservation
#dinosaur
#wildlife
#explore
#Cleanwater
#savetheplanet

[@ladyfsu]

Thank you for recording and reporting the sawfish. Something is terribly wrong I'm afraid :( Hope your tarpon fishing goes well though.

[@CatchingDinosaurs]

thank you

[@ethanbiesecker]

The calm sides of islands and the mangroves are your friends down there for tarpon snook etc. or if you can get up in one of the canals on big pine

[@CatchingDinosaurs]

appreciate the advice.