Species Spotlight:

By: Wes Tallyn

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is a very recognizable bird that has only become a resident of Florida in the past century. Their range has spread significantly throughout the southern half of the United States and even throughout the Midwest. They have spread North from Central and South America. Their orange bill, brown chest and black colored “belly” feathers make them stand out from other duck species. They are commonly found in large flocks and are very social birds. As their name states, they make a loud whistling noise and in large flocks can be heard from some distance.

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks can be found on ponds, lakes and marshes. They like to stand upright a lot of times on the banks of ponds; but, when in the water, they tend to be in marsh vegetation. When they do stand upright, their long pinkish colored legs are visible and they tower over the area. This gives them good sight distance to see potential predators.

Waterfront residents sometimes build boxes or stands for the ducks to nest on. Central Florida and the Everglades are the best locations to find them feeding in vegetation. Often, they’re also very commonly seen flying overhead around dusk and dawn in small flocks. See if you can find them in your local parks and water bodies today!

— Captain Wes Tallyn was raised in Florida and is a fisherman, birder, avid outdoorsman, photographer, and environmental scientist.

Wes has a focus on conservation and education in the community and is the owner of Snook Jam Outdoors. You can find him on Instagram @ snookjam or call 727-410-5853.

ost spearguns are p owered by large latex bands. There are many options for band sizes for both thicknesses ranging from 9/16” (14mm) to 3/4” (19mm) with both regular internal diameter (ID) and small ID. Most brands are designed to stretch to 350%. This means that the optimal band length for a speargun is the distance from the band slot to the loading notch times two (the bands go on either side from the muzzle) then divided by three and a half (the stretch ratio). (Distance x 2)/3.5 = Optimal Band Length.

Each thickness of band has an optimal amount of energy it is capable of storing. 9/16” (14mm) bands are capable of storing approximately 90lbs of force per band, 5/8” (16mm) are capable of storing approximately 110lbs of force per band and so on. Range on a speargun is largely determined by the length of the speargun, where power(penetration) is mostly determined by the number of bands.

Latex degrades over time, but some things impact it and cause it to degrade even more rapidly. Other than some chemicals, like petroleum, the greatest impacts to bands are temperature and sunlight. Bands should not be exposed to high heat. Storing your bands in your hot garage may be what makes your wife happy, but your bands are suffering for it. Sunlight is also a major impact, which mostly happens out on the boat. The best way to prevent sun damage is to keep them covered with a Neptonics Band Cover. These also help prevent abrasion and punctures of bands, and keep your spearguns organized in transit.

MThere are many myths about how to store bands when they are not in use. The biggest myth is that you should keep your bands in the freezer. This is not a good idea once they have been in the water. Once bands have been submerged and exposed to pressure, water pushes past the wishbone knots and goes into the inner tubing. Water crystalizes and expands when it is frozen which causes small abrasions inside the bands and actually causes them to degrade quicker. Refrigeration is a better option than freezing. Simply keeping them in a climate-controlled location away from sunlight will also ensure an extended life for your bands. With all that being said, most speargun bands will degrade in about eight months to a year whether they are used frequently or not. Increased use will cause them to degrade more rapidly, although the argument could be made that is a good problem to have. If you are getting out frequently, you may have to replace your bands every six to nine months. It is pretty easy to identify when your bands are nearing the end of their useful life. They will either be gummy to the touch, which is a result of significant exposure to fuel, sun or heat. Or, they will show signs of aging near the wishbone where they will begin to crack. Once you start to see these signs it may be time to look at replacing your bands.

— Neptonics: 7610 Industrial Lane Suite 8H Tampa, FL. 33637 813-867-3250. Neptonics.com

BY: CAPT. SERGIO ATANES