The DNA barcode that can help easily and accurately classify plants worlds

 University of Toronto scientists are part of an international team of researchers that have identified a pair of genes which they say can be used to quickly and accurately catalog plants around the world. The classification technique is known as DNA barcoding and uses a short genetic marker in an organism's DNA to identify it as belonging to a particular species.

Invented about five years ago as a method for identifying animal species, the use of DNA barcoding in plants was delayed because of the complex nature of plant genetics and disagreements over which regions to use.

The scientific team "compared the performance of the seven leading candidate gene regions against three criteria: ease of obtaining DNA sequences; quality of the DNA sequences; and ability to tell species apart based on a sample of 550 species of land plants", said Spencer Barrett, a professor at the University of Toronto and the head of the Canadian plant barcoding group.

"Based on this global analysis we recommended that matK and rbcL — two chloroplast genes — are adopted as the DNA barcode for land plants."

The team hopes to apply the classification techniques in the world's biodiversity hotspots where a shortage of botany specialists often slows conservation efforts. Because it is DNA based, the technique can work on very small amounts of tissue including fragments of plant material, small seedlings and in some cases digested or processed samples. These characteristics allow the methodology to be applied to other applications including identifying illegal trade in endangered species, locating and identifying invasive organisms, poisonous species and fragmentary material in forensic investigations.

The classifications immediate benefits will be felt in global projects such as Tree-BOL which aims to build the DNA barcode database for all the species of trees of the world — many of which are of economic and conservation importance.

Source: http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/main/dna-barcode-plants

Nestlé Lanka records revenue growth of 13.5 % (YoY)

Nestlé Lanka PLC, recorded a good revenue growth of 13.5 % (YoY) for the six months ending June 30, 2012, posting a revenue of Rs. 14.5 billion against the background of a difficult market environment.

A milk collection centre in a rural area operated by Nestle Lanka

The company announced a flat bottomline growth of -1 % (YoY), with a net profit of Rs 1,246 million due to currency depreciation and the rise in fuel, energy and other costs which resulted in a significant increase of costs for its manufacturing operations.

“2012 continues to be a very trying year for us. Despite the many challenges we face, we are maintaining a solid revenue growth and strengthening our leading position in our key categories.

However, external impacts on the bottomline are continuing to take its toll. Notwithstanding, Nestlé will continue its strong commitment to Sri Lanka and its people. We have continued to contribute significantly to the local rural economy and registered a 35 % increase in the procurement of local fresh milk. We remain committed to ‘Creating Shared Value’ for our local communities even during this difficult time.” said Alois Hofbauer, Managing Director of Nestlé Lanka PLC.

In 2011, the company’s overall contribution to the rural economy by way of fresh milk and coconut purchases was 3.6 billion, resulting in a 63 % increase in fresh milk and coconut procurement from 2010.

Source : Daily News

Iran to talk with world powers again - Ashton

Netanyahu: All the sanctions so far have not set back the Iranian nuclear programme:

BELGIUM: Iran's main nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili agreed in phone talks on Thursday to speak again with world powers before the month is out on Tehran's contested programme, the EU's top diplomat said.

"I proposed, and Dr Jalili agreed, that we talk again after further reflection at the end of the month," Catherine Ashton said in a statement after discussing "how to move the talks with Iran on the nuclear issue forward".

She did not say if these next talks would be face-to-face or more phone contact, but underlined: "I impressed the need for Iran now to address the issues we have raised in order to build confidence."

Working on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, European Union High Representative Ashton is trying to elevate dialogue with Tehran into a stable exchange after tortuous stop-start diplomacy.

The planned contact will follow face-to-face talks between the pair's respective deputies in Istanbul in Turkey last week.

Ashton said she had "explored diplomatic ways to resolve international concerns about Iran's nuclear programme", which Israel and the West suspect is a cover for efforts to build an atomic bomb, a charge denied by Iran.

The so-called P5+1 group she represents has told Iran to immediately stop enriching uranium to the 20 percent level, to ship out its existing 20 percent stock and to shut down a fortified underground enrichment facility.

Experts say uranium must be enriched to 90 percent purity to make nuclear bombs, but that 20 percent purity is a key stage in paving the way towards that capacity.

Iran insists it has a right to uranium enrichment under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and wants Western sanctions on its economy to be eased.

The US Congress on Wednesday approved punishing new sanctions targeting Iran's energy and shipbuilding sectors, amid deliberation over a possible first strike against Iran's nuclear facilities by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has complained that "all the sanctions and diplomacy so far have not set back the Iranian programme by one iota". AFP

Kim Kadarshian Spicy Photo Gallery

UN assembly to vote on Syria resolution

UNITED NATIONS: Arab nations have dropped an explicit demand for President Bashar al-Assad to quit, from a resolution on the Syria conflict which was to be voted at the UN General Assembly yesterday..

With the international community reeling from the resignation of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, the Arab League and their western supporters are confident the resolution will be passed in the 193-member assembly. But they have toned it down in a bid to get as big a majority as possible.

Faced with opposition from some Arab and Latin American countries, the resolution, drawn up by Saudi Arabia, has been stripped of the demand for Assad to stand down and for the wider application of sanctions ordered by the Arab League.

Russia and China, which have vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions that could have led to sanctions against Assad’s government, are expected to vote against the text. No country can veto a resolution in the General Assembly however. A resolution passed by 137 votes to 12 on February 16 led to the creation of the special envoy’s post that Annan was named to.

The draft resolution condemns the Syrian government’s use of “heavy weapons” and its failure to withdraw troops and artillery from towns in line with the peace plan that Assad agreed with Annan but has never carried out.

Syrian activists say that more than 20,000 people have been killed since an uprising against Assad erupted in March 2011.

The text demands that Syrian authorities stick to their “obligations” under international law which ban the use of chemical weapons and that all sides in Syria “implement rapidly” a political transition plan agreed by the international powers on June 30.

“The aim is to increase pressure on the Assad government. We want as many people to back this which is why some changes have been made,” one Arab diplomat told AFP ahead of the vote.

Other diplomats said the initiative is a reflection of the international frustration and anger felt at the failure of moves to put pressure on the Syrian government, particularly the vetos by Russia and China.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has already offered

UN-Arab League envoy Annan quits, urges more support for Syria peace:

SYRIA: Kofi Annan has resigned as UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, complaining that his April peace plan had not received the support it deserved from major powers.

As the Syrian army deployed fighter jets against rebels armed with tanks around the commercial capital Aleppo, the former UN chief regretted an “increasing militarisation” of the 17-month conflict.

He also hit out at “continuous finger-pointing and name-calling” at the UN Security Council which he said had prevented coordinated action to end the bloodshed.

Annan said the bickering had hindered his attempts to implement his six-point peace plan which was supposed to start with a reciprocal ceasefire from April 12 that never took hold, but his resignation sparked a new round of recriminations amongst major powers.

“I did not receive all the support that the cause deserved,” Annan told a hastily scheduled press conference in Geneva Thursday after his resignation was announced by UN chief Ban Ki-moon at UN headquarters in New York.

“You have to understand: as an envoy, I can’t want peace more than the protagonists, more than the Security Council or the international community for that matter.” “The increasing militarisation on the ground and the lack of unanimity in the Security Council fundamentally changed my role,” he said.

But he predicted that President Bashar al-Assad would go “sooner or later” and did not rule out his successor having more luck or success, despite his warning there was “no Plan B”.

“These crises are never static... as the situation evolves there may be other approaches,” he said.

Writing in the Financial Times, Annan called on Russia and the United States to shoulder responsibility for saving Syria from catastrophic civil war.

Annan stressed that Western military intervention would not deliver success on its own and that a political solution which was not comprehensive was doomed to fail. “Syria can still be saved from the worst calamity. But this requires courage and leadership, most of all from the permanent members of the Security Council, including from Presidents Putin and Obama,” he wrote.

Despite Annan’s criticism of the “finger-pointing” at the United Nations, Washington was quick to blame Annan’s resignation on the vetoing by Beijing and Moscow of three separate Arab- or Western-drafted resolutions on the Syrian conflict. “Annan’s resignation highlights the failure at the United Nations Security Council of Russia and China to support meaningful resolutions against Assad that would have held Assad accountable,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney. AFP

Min Visituru-2012: showcasing underwater beauty

Min Visituru-2012, the international exhibition of ornamental fish and aquatic plants and accessories, was ceremonially opened at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre yesterday under the patronage of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne and Deputy Minister Susantha Punchinilame.

The three day exhibition is organised by the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) along with the Economic Development Ministry and the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry to boost the country's ornamental fish industry.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha
Senaratne participate in the opening of the Min Visituru-2012 exhibition. Inset: An exhibit that attracted the crowd’s attention.
Pictures by Thushara Fernando

The exhibition is targeting international buyers, sellers and the public interested in ornamental fish.

"The ornamental fish industry has a rapidly increasing export market and Sri Lanka has a huge potential to grow in the industry. Though Sri Lanka's share in the international market is small, Sri Lanka is among the few well-known countries in the industry.

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Czechoslovakia and Thailand were the leading ornamental fish exporters and total annual export value of these countries is around US$ 200 million," sources said.

Sri Lanka's total export earnings from ornamental fish were Rs 1,112 million in 2011, they said.

There are over 100 exhibition stalls at the exhibition and it is open to the public until tomorrow.

NAQDA chairman Nihal Chandraratne, Ceylon Fisheries Corporation chairman Maheel Senaratne and large number of guests participated.

Daily News- Srilanka

'Websites, not meant to defame people'

Restrictions on websites are necessary in some instances as freedom to express opinions is not in any way meant to defame people, said Jayampathy Wickremeratne PC.

He said Human Rights reviewed by the International community every four years, are common standards applied for all mankind. He said the West adopts double standards in respect of Human Rights. "Although Human Rights belong to humanity, it is still viewed as the exclusive preserve of the West," he said.

Wickremeratne was delivering the Prof Nandadasa Kodagoda Memorial Oration at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on Thursday.

Wickremaratne added that civil and political rights are not the luxury of the rich.

"Universal Declaration of Human Rights is recognized by the UN.However modern Human Rights are not well understood despite the constitution providing protection for Human Rights," he said.

He said the Bill of Rights which he assisted in drafting has been gathering dust for three years.

Wickremeratne was of the view that a challenge is ahead of the country to work towards an indigenous Human Hights charter.

Source : Daily News- Srilanka

Things that make women feel guilty

Do you find yourself burying your head in shame each time you fail to be a perfect hostess, or when you say no? Here's how to stop whipping yourself

Are you sick of reading about how an amazing lettuce-only diet will make you happier, or how decluttering your home could transform your sex life? You're not the only one. After all, you have enough to feel guilty about without worrying about your love handles or your kids' confidence. According to a recent study, 96 per cent of women feel guilty at least once a day. This can have a destructive effect on our health, even factoring in the onset of depression. Here's how to cancel guilt trips.

No time for kids

Since most mothers now go out to work, women are expected to balance a happy home life with the demands of a job. But a startling majority feels like they haven't got the balance right. If you're at work worrying about the children, work isn't getting the best out of you and the kids aren't getting anything. Anxiety is rehearsing for tomorrow and reliving the past — stay in the here and now. When you're at work, be 100 per cent at work and when you're with your children, be 100 per cent with them. That way everyone benefits. 2

Not losing extra kilos

Women are so demoralised from being bombarded with images of "perfect" models that their default mode for shape and size tends to be set at "dissatisfaction". More than 70 per cent report being on a diet at any one time, regardless of whether they are actually overweight or not. Choose to change your situation and make time to go to the gym. If you choose not to do that, then view the situation differently — recognise it is your choice and no one else is to blame. But don't stay in the same situation and view it with horror. That wastes energy.

Spulrging on yourself

Going on a shopping spree may be fun at the time, but the after effects can send some into a spiral of self-loathing and guilt. A survey found that 80 per cent of women felt bad about splashing their cash on themselves just hours after they had finished shopping; 10 per cent felt so crippled by remorse that they refused to disclose their purchases to their partner. But as long as it's not eating into important payments, then spending money on yourself is fair enough.

Women don't see making themselves feel better as a gain for everyone. But if you rationalise your reasons for spending money on a spa break because you need the downtime, then you have no reason to feel guilty.

Not making him happy

Like the balance needed to maintain a happy home and work life, there is often effort needed to keep a relationship on track. But if you're feeling stretched, your partner is likely to be the first to suffer from your lack of attention and this causes stress and guilt. If you feel guilty that you're not doing enough to make your loved one happy, sit down and look at your timetables and agree on how you to make more time for each other. Discuss it and come up with a change in your behaviours that will make you both happier.

Always late

Sometimes situations arise which make us late, no matter how prepared we are. Seeing time as a gift will enable you to make the best out of the situation and prevent panic. You can either be late and flustered or late and collected. Sitting on a train and getting aggravated is a waste of energy. It's not the end of the world; it's a problem to be solved. Stay in the here and now, and ask yourself how you can use the moment? Jot a list, or call your mother.

Imperfect hosting

Many women would like to host the perfect dinner party, but they often set high standards. The desire for social excellence derives from the need to be perfect all the time. Host your party and be a bad hostess. The moment you accept you can do it, but do it badly, it takes the pressure off. Women give themselves a lot of 'should, oughts and musts', but these don't exist — everyone has a different perception, so host a dinner, but do it your way.

Forgetting birthdays

Though men might forget a birthday and shrug it off, women are more likely to beat themselves up for days for such minor oversights. Go easy on yourself, but also, go easy on others who forget.

It's not deliberate. When people aren't putting you first, you must see it from their point of view and if we could be more generous then we wouldn't feel so guilty. If you feel guilty, tell yourself you know you're doing your best, apologise and make clear it wasn't deliberate. 8

Taking some 'me' time

Living up to the 'superwoman' image can lead to terrible feelings of guilt over getting your hair done. But doing nothing is very important in allowing women to physically and mentally recharge. But it is very difficult to allow yourself to do it. Tell people the truth. That you need a break because you are at your limit — then accept that the world will not fall apart without you. 9

Letting your folks down

Women can inherit guilt through generations — of not doing enough for their elders, not doing it right or 'failing' their parents. Learn to accept that your parents will love and judge you no matter what. Do try and be sensitive but if you go your own way and you are successful and happy, then if they are decent human beings, they'll be happy for you. 10

Saying 'no'

Saying 'no' is hard because women don't want to be seen as the baddie and because they are taught to put others first. Give yourself time to think about each request, so have ready a stalling tactic. If you really don't want to do what they ask, give options to help solve their problem — brainstorm alternatives.

However, if you've explained why you can't do something and they can't see it from your point of view, then accept that they're being unreasonably selfish and taking advantage of your goodwill.

- Mumbai Mirror

India restores power after huge blackouts

INDIA: India restored its power supplies on Wednesday after two days of massive outages that blacked out half the country, but fears remained that the grid could again collapse under the strain of over-demand.

India’s electricity network was back at full capacity after three regional grids failed on Tuesday in the country’s worst power crisis that left more than 600 million people without supplies.

“It is a very difficult and challenging situation, and solutions will have to be found,” new Power Minister Veerappa Moily said after confirming that the northern, eastern and north-eastern networks were back on line. “I’m not going to start with a blame game.

The centre and the states will have to work together on this,” he added, as wary consumers who are used to regular load-shedding braced for the possibility of more serious disruption.

AFP

Shreya Ghoshal Sony Tv Music X Factor Launch Party Pics

Shreya Ghoshal Sony Tv Music X Factor Launch Party Pics

Shreya Ghoshal Sony Tv Music X Factor Launch Party Pics

SUNNY LEON HOT SAREE STILLS

US imposes new sanctions on Iran oil sector

US: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday imposed new economic sanctions on Iran's oil export sector and on a pair of Chinese and Iraqi banks accused of doing business with Tehran.

In a statement released by the White House, Obama said the new measures underlined the United States' determination to force Tehran “to meet its international obligations” in nuclear negotiations.

The sanctions came on the same day as the US State Department branded Iran “an active state sponsor of terrorism” in its 2011 annual terrorism report, and as US lawmakers prepared to vote legislation demanding more action.

Obama is keen to show his Iranian sanctions regime is tough, amid fears Israel may launch unilateral strikes against Iran if it believes the Islamic regime is on the point of achieving the capability to build a nuclear bomb.

“This action is designed to deter Iran from establishing payment mechanisms for the purchase of Iranian oil to circumvent existing sanctions,” Obama said, warning that US sanctions will be apply to any entity buying Iranian oil.

Obama said measures would be taken against firms that have dealings with the National Iranian Oil Company, the Naftiran Intertrade Company or the Central Bank of Iran or that help Iran buy US dollars or precious metals. AFP

Sri Lanka targets overseas LTTE finances - US

With no incidents of terrorism or a threat of its resurgence within Sri Lanka, most counter terrorism activities undertaken by the government in 2011 targeted possible LTTE overseas finances, a United States government report released on Tuesday said.

The US State Department ‘Country Reports on Terrorism 2011’, an annual report which reviews the counter terrorism events worldwide last year, said despite the military defeat of the LTTE, the Sri Lankan government was concerned about continuing fund raising activities of certain LTTE sympathiser remnants overseas.

According to the report, since the LTTE had used a number of non-profit organisations for terrorist financing purposes, including the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), during 2011, the government has actively searched for other financial links to the LTTE.

Commenting on Sri Lanka’s cooperation on a regional and international level to counter terrorism activities, the report said the government remained committed to counter terrorism efforts of international bodies such as the United Nations and cooperated with regional countries on such issues.

The report also mentioned the Sri Lanka Army’s seminar on ‘Defeating Terrorism: The Sri Lankan Experience’ held from May 31 to June 2, 2011 to discuss counter terrorism lessons learnt. It stated 41 countries, including SAARC members and China, Russia, Japan and the US had attended.

On the countering of terrorist finances, the report said the government had amended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Financing Act in 2011 to strengthen the respective legal regimes to remove identified deficiencies.

In addition, the government placed into effect the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, as well as creating a specialised branch at the Central Bank – the Financial Intelligence Unit, to track possible terrorist financing, the report added. The report, which provides an assessment of trends and events in international terrorism revealed within the last year, continued to list the LTTE as a US government designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

Parents alone cannot provide IT knowledge for children – Bandula

If a child that was created for the educational suited to all children have a knowledge of Information Technology that can not be done alone by their parents, says Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

The Minister made this observation at the base of stone laying ceremony held for the construction of laboratory technician Mahindodaya Sulaimania Muslim Vidyalaya in Ruwanwella on "Reconstruction of 1000 secondary schools project, 9.

Under the project, a computer lab with 40 computers, along with other material resources at a cost of more than 6 crore provided, the minister said.

Speaking further the Minister said that the contributions of the provincial councils, parents and former students could be given to encourage secondary schools to build a human life valuable to society.

DNA bar code to identify indigenous plants

A DNA bar code system to identify indigenous plants in Sri Lanka has been introduced by the Industrial Technology Institute of Sri Lanka that operates under the Technology and Research Ministry.

Sources said the DNA bar code is a type of genetic ID which uses a part of genetic data of an organism, allowing fast and accurate identification of the species.

Sources said the system has been developed to verify the authenticity of Sri Lanka's plant products in the international market.

It is reported some traders sell substandard products in the international market claiming to be from Sri Lanka. Sources said this system could be supportive to identify substandard products from the genuine Sri Lankan products.

Source :   Daily  News – Sri Lanka

South Korean job seekers can access details online

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Sri Lankan youth who apply for jobs in South Korea could now access details regarding their status of applications, employment contracts and job confirmation via on line.

They could obtain details by visiting Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment(SLBFE) website www.slbfe.lk and proceeding to section EPS-Employment Permit System.

Job aspirants seeking information have to upload their national ID number, passport number, date of birth and examination index number to obtain details.

The SLBFE said the above has been included as a security feature to prevent an outside party to that of the candidate obtaining details. The Korean Human Resources Development Department will periodically upload data in the system providing the latest information to job applicants.

According to SLBFE sources, relevant information about all job applicants who passed the Korean language proficiency test have been already uploaded. In 2011 a total of 9998 applicants passed the test and 2460 from among them have left for jobs in South Korea.

The number of Sri Lankan's migrating for jobs in South Korea has increased considerably in recent times. Last year, 5,346 persons migrated for employment to Korea and the figure is expected to exceed 9,000 this year .

Meanwhile, it was recently announced that Sri Lanka has become the top labour sending country to the South Korean job market. Korean authorities said Sri Lanka's top ranking status was due to efficiency and the innovativeness of workers and transparency of the authorities.

Sri Lanka faced the ignominy of being kicked out from the Korean job market a few years ago, due to the high number of complaints received against its workers.

The SLBFE and the Foreign Employment Ministry at the time took swift remedial measures to arrest the decline and improve the standard of workers.

"Out of 15 countries, the Sri Lankan government now holds the highest employment quota" South Korean ambassador in Sri Lanka Jong Moon Choi said in a recent interview with the 'Daily News'.

The ambassador on behalf of the Korean government recently presented a memento to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in recognition of this feat. Sending Sri Lankan workers to South Korea started under an initiative mooted by President Rajapaksa during his tenure as the Labour Minister in the early 1990s.

Over 25,000 Sri Lankans are presently employed in South Korea.

Source : Daily News- Srilanka

UN official lauds North - East rehab programme in Srilanka

Sri Lanka has achieved excellent results in its North – East rehabilitation and resettlement programme and post-conflict economic development drive, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and response division director John Ging said.

“Sri Lanka should share these experiences with other countries,” he said at a meeting with senior advisor to the President and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Ging on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka, met Minister Rajapaksa at the Economic Development Ministry on Tuesday.

The minister said Sri Lanka was able to complete most of the rehabilitation and reconstruction work successfully because of the help from the international community including UN agencies and INGOs as well as local institutions and the public.

“We have resettled IDPs who were displaced as a result of the last phase of the humanitarian operation. However, now our biggest problem is to resettle the IDPs displaced in the earlier periods of the conflict.

“There are people in IDP camps in India. Some were chased away by the LTTE from the North Eastern Province and they are still living in places outside the North East Province. They were not provided facilities offered to the new IDPs. Sri Lanka has to now solve this problem and is seeking the help of international organisations.”

Ging said OCHA will provide assistance to resettle all IDPs.

He said he has confidence that Sri Lanka can solve the IDPs’ problems soon.

“I have travelled to many countries with similar problems. But I can say Sri Lanka’s progress after the end of the conflict is tremedous,” Ging said.

Source : Daily News- Srilanka

Weeki Wachee Mermaids Springs State Park (Video)

I was watching the Travel Channel yesterday, showing "extreme roadside attractions." Yes, they tend to have a lot of time on my hands. One segment featured a place I'd never heard of, Weeki Wachee. This attraction features an underwater mermaid show - so cool!

These sirens perform routines in natural sources of this town in Florida to 72 degrees about 16-20 meters below the surface. They do so without diving equipment. Since 1947, these sirens have entertained about 35 million daily visitors only with the support of a compressed air hose pumped to the lungs.

Each siren, before she won her flippers, you must complete rigorous training schedule for 6 months. Once he has earned his scuba certification, perfected the use of hose and routines, it becomes a part of this unique show. In addition, she has to learn to deal with the wildlife that also call Weeki Wachee Springs home - such as fish and turtles.

Crazy! I'm definitely adding to Weeki Wachee my wish list.

6131 Commercial Way

Spring Hill, Florida 34606

Phone:            +1 (352) 592-5656     

The mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs have delighted visitors since 1947. Today, visitors can still witness the magic of the mermaids, take a river boat cruise and canoe or kayak on the Weeki Wachee River. The 538-acre park features a first magnitude spring and a 400-seat submerged theatre for watching the live mermaid show. Buccaneer Bay offers a fun-filled flume ride for thrill seekers of all ages. Our white sandy beach area and covered picnic pavilions provide a relaxing day for your entire family. Weeki Wachee's animal shows provide audiences with an entertaining and educational look at domesticated birds and reptiles..

Park Activities

Beaches

Boat Tours

Canoeing/Kayaking

Concession/Restaurant

Facilities

Pavilions

Picnicking

SCUBA Diving

Showers

Snorkeling

Swimming

Hours of Operation Hours vary by season.

Park Fees

Admission fee: $13 per adult; $5 per child age 6-12

Admission fee for Buccaneer Bay: $26 plus tax for adults; $12 plus tax for children age 6-12

Kayak rental: $30

Copyright © 2012, Orlando Sentinel