[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by ApS

You'd be shocked at all the unlighted "low-information boaters" out after dark.


• The Broads doesn't have to be rough—the scofflaws prefer the calm waters of coves. Saturday, the usual weekend white Donzi blasted through Winter Harbor mid-morning at speeds approaching 100-MPH!

(Yeah, I know, "Donzis can't go that fast")

• When my family bought here in 1956, it wasn't about the boating so much as living on "Golden Pond". Now that we on Lake Winnipesaukee have learned that 6% of Loon mortality is due to boats—it was time.

(Not including human mortality rates here).

• Just Friday, a Loon surfaced next to me on the dock, and promptly dove "from the danger"—resurfacing only 20-feet further away.

• Loons can dive for two minutes or even much longer. Loons aren't checking for Donzis when they resurface for air—nor are Donzis checking for Loons...

You forgot to mention Canoes, kayaks and sailboats being a much bigger threat to loons than Donzis. From the NHF&G...

"Non-motorized watercrafts, such as canoes and kayaks, have access to shallow water near loon nesting and brood sites, which can lead to nest abandonment. Additionally, canoeists and kayakers are more apt to use remote areas and have a greater ability for stealth. This type of activity is most detrimental during early incubation when egg investment is lowest and the likelihood of nest abandonment is highest. Disturbance from sailboats and windsurfing has not been quantified. Anecdotal and behavioral evidence suggests a sail can be perceived as a visual threat, and therefore has the potential to disrupt nesting and brooding activity, even in areas of high recreational use."

Maybe sailing should be banned during Loon nesting activities???