The Chicago Sun-Times has a great article for Florida tourists to meet the wildlife of the state: meet Manatees, feed Gators, and go oystering. Well worth checking out even for Floridians themselves.
Book Me a Charter's half-day oystering trips (lasting three to four hours) often are booked a year or more in advance. (...) A pro will show you how to "tong" oysters, using a pair of tongs with wooden handles up to 14 feet long and weighing 60 pounds. You'll use these to swoop up as many oysters as your arms can lift and drop them on the culling deck. There, you'll sift through your catch, tossing small oysters, fish, crabs and other hitchhikers back into the bay, and bag the rest. Although your boat will pull right up alongside the larger boats from which professional oystermen are gathering catches to be shipped to restaurants nationwide, your trip is considered recreational. That means you're allowed to take two 60-pound bags of your catch (about 300 oysters). (...) "It's physically hard work, but you don't have to punch a clock." And for the ladies, there's a bit of a bonus. "The guys all have large upper bodies," she says, noting her great-grandfather wooed his Canadian bride during oystering voyages. "Everybody looks like a He-Man walking around."
Sounds great! ;-)
Make sure to check out Devan Stuart's complete article with lots of exciting info about things to do in Florida, for tourists and natives.
