An information-packed guide to environmentally responsible boating and angling in Hillsborough Bay is now available free of charge from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

The newly revised Hillsborough Bay Boater’s Guide contains expanded information about important habitats and wildlife found in Hillsborough Bay. The updated map shows manatee speed zones, bird rookeries, homeland security zones, navigational channels, seagrasses, boat ramps and publicly owned lands. The guide encompasses all of Hillsborough Bay, from the Interbay Peninsula in Tampa to the mouth of the Little Manatee River near Ruskin.

Accompanying text and photos showcase some of Hillsborough Bay’s most intriguing inhabitants, including sharks and rays, sea turtles and diamondback terrapins, and a variety of spectacular wading and shorebirds.

Printed on water-resistant paper, it is designed to be stored aboard a boat for handy reference.

More than 15,000 copies of the original guide were distributed to area boaters directly and through bait shops, marinas, and other water-based businesses.

The revised Hillsborough Bay Boater’s Guide was produced by Audubon of Florida with support from TBEP, the Tampa Port Authority, TECO, Mosaic, Lowry Park Zoo, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Wheelabrator McKay Bay, and the Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton.