Algonquin Adventures / Weird buoy on Whitson Lake

**Posted by Marko_Mrko** 6/03/2024 8:36 am

Went down the Pet this last week - black flies. were getting better, mosquitos not awful yet.

As we finished 5-mile rapids, came up on a white styrofoam buoy on Whitson Lake. Being curious, I pulled it up... only to find a green cylindrical canister (2" x 12", screw cap at end) attached to the rope. It seemed like it was military, and being worried that it was going to blow my hands off, I let it drop back into the lake.

Does anyone know what this is??!?

**Posted by Bampot** 6/04/2024 6:06 pm

I was also in the park last weekend and the bugs were almost non-existent. Must be that sweet spot after the blackflies and before the mosquitoes get bad.

The buoy you found could possibly be an acoustic array buoy for fish research purposes.

**Posted by MartinG** 6/04/2024 6:33 pm

Marko_Mrko wrote:
Went down the Pet this last week - black flies. were getting better, mosquitos not awful yet.

As we finished 5-mile rapids, came up on a white styrofoam buoy on Whitson Lake. Being curious, I pulled it up... only to find a green cylindrical canister (2" x 12", screw cap at end) attached to the rope. It seemed like it was military, and being worried that it was going to blow my hands off, I let it drop back into the lake.

Does anyone know what this is??!?

I keep picturing you holding a bomb in your profile pic instead of a fish!

**Posted by Marko_Mrko** 6/04/2024 6:39 pm

MartinG wrote:
I keep picturing you holding a bomb in your profile pic instead of a fish!

That's EXACTLY what I looked like 😂😂

**Posted by Marko_Mrko** 6/04/2024 6:40 pm

Bampot wrote:
The buoy you found could possibly be an acoustic array buoy for fish research purposes.

Interestingly, we saw two sturgeon - one at Whitson, one actually did a rise on Smith and it was large!

**Posted by RobW** 6/05/2024 8:14 am

Marko_Mrko wrote:
Bampot wrote:
The buoy you found could possibly be an acoustic array buoy for fish research purposes.

Interestingly, we saw two sturgeon - one at Whitson, one actually did a rise on Smith and it was large!

Sturgeon or Muskie?

I know there are Muskie in that area but I haven't heard of Sturgeon in the Pet.

**Posted by Jdbonney** 6/06/2024 12:18 pm

There are sturgeon in the pet. I can’t confirm that’s what he saw but there are definitely sturgeon in there.

**Posted by FishDoc** 8/21/2024 12:45 pm

Bampot wrote:
The buoy you found could possibly be an acoustic array buoy for fish research purposes.

That’s exactly what it is. I’m the lead researcher on the project. Stumbled on this post looking up some other info on this forum. That receiver got knocked loose this spring in the freshet. Our team just moved it recently. There’s a total of approx 40 of those in the river… strategically placed to minimize the chances of visitors seeing them but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans! Thanks to OP for leaving it be And trust me… I once flew with one of those receivers and got pulled aside by law enforcement at my gate… evidently you aren’t the only one that thinks those things look like military ordnance!

**Posted by Marko_Mrko** 8/22/2024 12:26 am

Hahaha that's really cool, thanks for the reply!!

Good luck with the research, I'm sure people would love to. help put of needed

Cheers!!