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(Colette Boehm): Fishing, especially here in Orange Beach, has always been a popular activity
for both locals and visitors.
And what we're finding now
is our charter captains and deckhands are getting questions from visitors
about other aspects along their trip. So, we've got some new programs in place
to help
captains and deckhands learn more about the other species that may be out there,
not specifically what they are fishing for.
The birds of the area, the marine mammals, those type things. So what we're finding
is people are looking for a more overall experience.
And again, I think that goes back to the number of people who are interested
in nature tourism activities.
(Bill Mitchell): When we go back into the swamps, we get
canopied over in trees many times. The creek narrows, you can see fish and crabs
and, you know, an alligator gar. Sometimes an alligator, there are some back there.
We work our way so far back,
when we stop I say to the people, "Can you imagine that, right now,
you're only 2 miles from the beach?"
And they picture that white sand and all the condos. It's like you're
in the jungle in the Amazon, and you're 2 miles away.
So, it's an unbelievable resource that we have right here. So, we have to be
very gentle in how we interact with it. Even making a wake can disturb
the grasses that grow around that ecosystem, around the watershed, and around
the bayou or an estuary.
(Boehm): There's both a state and a national program that designates
routes as exceptional
in their qualities
for, not only,
scenic aspects but also historic,
cultural, recreational aspects.
So from that perspective,
we've got a
great byway here with lots
of variety
for people to come, again, year-round and not just things that are appealing during
summer months.
(Mitchell): Because we have for that kind of nature at our disposal,
the tours have started to extend into the off-season. So, it's kinda morphed
itself into, now, something substantial.