SHELL ISLAND — Charter fishing boats sputtered past and water scooters skimmed over the water’s surface as plastic tubes of snorkeling visitors bobbed in a marked area off the coast of Shell Island.
In the distance a tour guide to dolphin encounters gave his guests a warning.
“Don’t feed the dolphins, unless you got $5,000 in your pocket,” he said over the loudspeaker, as the marked Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) boat approached.
“You just can’t beat this office,” said Lt. Jay Chesser of the FWC, gesturing out at a serene day on St. Andrew Bay.
Chesser and Officer David Brady were patrolling parts of the bay Thursday. Watching for illegal dolphin feeding is occasionally one of the many duties of the FWC officer, and in the summer, boarding vessels to check for required boater safety gear, licensing and appropriate fish catches often encompasses a day at the office.
Violations of catch sizes, volumes or out-of-season catches increase, of course, in the summertime. But much like the fish being hunted by private, charter or commercial fishermen, FWC cannot catch all the ones they’re after — and sometimes it can turn dangerous.
“Some people are friendly and open,” Chesser said. “Some people have something they don’t want us to find.”
Since resources of FWC are limited to about 14 officers, those on duty usually migrate with the seasons to where people are likely to be. Snapper season lures officers into the bay, alligator season draws them upstream and marijuana growing season send them deep into the Florida wetlands.
FWC has the largest expanse of jurisdiction in the state: from the northern state line to 9 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico and 3 miles off the Atlantic coast. On all the roads, woodlands and waterways in between, FWC officers have authority to enforce the laws of the land that can have several nuances and change frequently.
“They have to be a jack of trades, master of none,” Chesser said.
The FWC has 853 sworn personnel operate in six regions throughout the state. FWC officers are responsible for uniformed patrol and investigative law enforcement. They also have a SWAT-type unit and diving crews for people breaking the law under the water’s surface.
While on the water, FWC officers have authority to actively board boats, unlike other law enforcement agencies that have to have probable cause to initiate a search.
“We try to be careful with that power, because it comes with great responsibility,” Chesser said.
It can put FWC officers in precarious situations since, on most days, only one officer is on a boat going about their duties. Over the years, with shootouts ending in the death of an officer or high-speed pursuits and several other life-threatening scenarios, the U.S. Supreme Court has supported the FWC’s right to proactively board vessels and check for drugs, guns or just out-of-season fish.
Some days it’s an easy day sputtering around the bay. But even on days when the conditions aren’t ideal, FWC officers head out to see what they encounter.
“Bad guys don’t stop on rainy days,” Brady said.