Haulover Canal

In the Canal from the stony kayak launch on the "Dolphin Cove" side of Bair's Cove at 6:30.

 

 

 

Manatees and a dolphin in Bair's Cove

 

Dark clouds to the west, so I did not paddle into the Indian River and out to Mullet Head Island.

 Hung out with manatees in Bair's Cove

 

manatee feeding

 

 

 Back in the Canal, headed toward Mosquito Lagoon. Thought about headed to the Indian River, the skies looked a little brighter. A distant, vertical, lightning bolt changed my mind.

 

 

 It was windy on the Lagoon, so I stayed inside the chain of islands.   Flat water

 

 Paddling back.  The drawbridge, or rather the road, is closed.  So the drawbridge is open. Don't know why it is closed.  Makes me glad I planned to launch at Bair's Cove, and not on the other side of the bridge at the end of the dirt road.  Launching at the end of the road is free, but closes at sunset.  Although I have yet to see it enforced. Bair's Cove is 24 hours.  $5.  Free with my Duck Stamp.  Which expires Tuesday

 

 

 

 

 This scene made me very glad I did not put in at the end of the dirt road.   Kayaks three deep. Had to be a tour.   Seemed like they were waiting for conditions to improve.

 

It was a bit windy and wavy.  Distant thunder clouds.  I decided to head out to Mullet Head Island.

A far off bolt of lightining changed my mind.  No rain on me, just over an inch at the Orlando airport.

 

 

 Dolphin

 

 

I decided to stay until dark.  A new moon, so the bioluminescence should be good. 

 

The wind died as nighttime approached.  I went into the Indian River. Partly in an attempt to get away from the mosquitos. I was slathered with Cutter.

 Biolum requires almost total darkness. Which occurred between the above and below photos.  Those are the drawbridge lights.   Stars began to appear. Each paddle stroke produced a white halo as tiny organisms are disturbed.  I'll let National Geographic, explain:

Bioluminescent dinoflagellates produce light using a luciferin-luciferase reaction. The luciferase found in dinoflagellates is related to the green chemical chlorophyll found in plants. 

 

Bioluminescent dinoflagellate ecosystems are rare, mostly forming in warm-water lagoons with narrow openings to the open sea. Bioluminescent dinoflagellates gather in these lagoons or bays, and the narrow opening prevents them from escaping.....

 

Warm water lagoon, that's the key.    As usual my favorite thing was seeing the trails created by schools of mullet.

 

Paddling under the bridge, a dolphin, probably the one I saw all afternoon and evening, swam along side. 

I put the camera in the water, hoping to get a light trail.  No such luck.  I saw no other kayakers, the mob  most have gone some where on the Mosquito Lagoon.  3 boats in the Canal.  Nice that it is Slow Speed, Minimum Wake. For manatees.

 

Landed at 9:50.