JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Boaters are being warned to keep an eye out for jumping sturgeon.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the summertime alert because of the growing Gulf sturgeon population.
Just last year a sturgeon jumped out of the water and hit an 8-year-old boy from Ohio in the head. He spent several weeks recovering in a hospital in Pensacola.
The Suwannee River is packed with the most sturgeon in Florida. The population is estimated to be at above 10,000 fish.
The Choctawhatchee has over 3,000 fish, The Apalachicola River and the Yellow River have about 1,000 fish.
The cause behind the jumping fish is a mystery to scientists.
"Sound travels quite a distance in the water, and some scientists believe their jumping is a form of communication with other fish. Others believe sturgeon inflate their air bladder when they leap. The bottom line is we don't know for sure," said veteran FWS fisheries scientist Frank Parauka.
Call 888-404-3922 to report a sturgeon collision.
WJAX
