Eddyline Kayaks is helping manatees in Florida through sales of a new kayak paddle that is raising funds for manatee conservation.

Janice Nearing, a Florida member of Save the Manatee Club, provided details:

“Eddyline Kayaks is a small, 38-year-old, family-owned and environmentally conscious company run by Tom and Lisa Derrer. When Steve Sapienza, their Midwest representative, visited Crystal River, Florida and went kayaking, he saw incidents of manatee harassment first-hand and thought Eddyline could help. Steve approached the Derrers about creating a paddle with a fabric inlay featuring a manatee scene to add to their existing Swift Paddles line. And for each of these paddles sold, Eddyline is donating $15 to Save the Manatee Club for their manatee conservation work. The club is a national nonprofit organization cofounded in 1981 by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett.

“According to experts, swimming and diving with manatees, although seemingly benign, can lead to manatee harassment and in some scenarios contributes to a manatee’s injury or even death. A case in point is the swim-with-the-manatee programs in Crystal River, a small town on Florida’s west coast that is home to over 400 endangered manatees during the winter months…

“Lisa Derrer is thrilled that Eddyline can help. ‘Kayaking can be one of the least intrusive ways to enjoy the natural world and to observe wildlife, and we’re happy that our product will be a benefit to endangered manatees,’ she said.”

For more information about manatees visit SaveTheManatee.org.

To find out more about Eddyline Kayaks visit EddyLine.com.