Weeki Wachee

This Saturday's (October 20,2007) adventure took me 80 miles due west of Orlando to the Weeki Wachee River. Yet another spring fed waterway. I'm leaning towards calling the Weeki Wachee the most beautiflist river I paddle. Improper English for emphasis.

This trip begins at Rogers Park, a Hernando County facility. The park has a concrete boat ramp, and a seperate canoe/kayak ramp. Concrete, rubber padding, hand rail down the middle, room for two to put out or take in. In the summer, there is a $2 fee, none after Labor Day. Only one car was in the lot when I arrived, two more came in by the time I launched about 9. The ramp is on a canal, a short paddle leads to the River. Left, the Gulf of Mexico is 2 miles away, right, upstream 6 miles to Weeki Wachee Spring. I turned right.

Weeki Wachee is a first magnitde spring, discharging over 100 million gallons of water a day from deep in the Floridian Aquifer. This makes the upstream paddle a challange. Usually. From the water level at the kayak ramp and benign current,I must have caught the incoming tide.

Homes line the left side of the River for the first mile plus. I tend to prefer no devlopment, but these residenses add to the atmosphere. Mostly small, with idiosyncratic architecture and knickknacks, river side.

Kitcshy Weeki Wachee. Try that 3x fast.

Kitschy Weeki Wacckee

Kickme

Ah, forget, it!

The incoming tide lessened as I moved upriver, the spring water began to dominate. The channel is narrow, water clarity extrodinary. Minimal boat traffic, I think I saw two motor boats, both traveling at the posted no wake speed. Bass, mullett, sheepshead, turtles visible in the crystal clear water. I saw no alligators. I have only seen one on 5 or 6 visits to Weeki Wachee

I was just past halfway when I saw a for sale sign on the river. This section, has big , modern homes, set back from the River, not the cheek by jowl cottages described earlier. I thought, nice location, on the river, sit on the dock, fish, watch manatees swim by... when I noticed one in front of me.

I followed upriver, until it stopped to join another manatee and graze on the north, left bank.

Here's a picture. I watched them for a while, noting that one manatee was grey, the other brownish. Why the difference ? Beats me.

Ten minutes later, I saw a canoe and kayak struggling to hold position in the River. Has to be a manatee. Kayer son said, "There's a bunch of manatees ! " "How many in a bunch ?" I asked. "Four" I got to the area, and was able to position the yak in a small cove. I saw three, than a fourth swam beneath me. I gently touched it with one hand as it went by. I then saw a fifth. One mom with two calfs and two other adults. The human adult, mom in canoe with her daughter was struggling to get back upstream. Yaker son said he'd tow them up. I did not stay to watch the scene. I saw about 15-20 people coming downstream. As usual, I was the only paddler going up.

I passed the area from where the downstream paddlers laucnched, then a dock with a tour boat, and finaly, a no boats beyond this point sign. On my first visit, I did venture beyond, entering a water park area, seeing manatees on the bottom. That was an early, cool January morning, with no one on the tour boat dock. Today, the captain was there. I turned around, she asked me if I just paddled up from the Park's ramp. When I told her, I'd come from Rogers Park, she asked if I had seen manatees. At least they're in the River, she said when I told her of the seven I saw. Apparently they have not come all the way upstream since last winter.

Here's a sample of the birds seen on the Weeki Wachee. Florida mottled

ducks, blue heron, Great Blue Heron. I rewarded myself for the difficult, 2.5 hour upstream paddle by lazily floating on the way back, an occasional correcting stroke to keep straight. I also wanted all the folks I had passed on the way up to get well ahead of me. I passed the upstream launch area- no activity, so it was unlikely anyone would be coming behind me. I heard paddlers ahead, sooner than I had expected. A family group, in several canoes and kayaks. They looked wet. Had they tipped ? Eavesdropping- hey, sound carries over water, they had not tipped. I heard one of the adults say, "Lets go over there and swim, its shallower". I decided against telling them swimming is not allowed in the first mile and a half of the River, instead paddling hard to get out of earshot.

Once I was out of the No Swim area, I searched for a spot to stop, eat lunch and put on the snorkel gear. Few in this part of the River.

I found a spot, small, but scenic. Enough room to pull the yak out of the water between the cypress trees.

You can judge the scenery. The view is on the left.

I put on fins, mask and snorkel, set camera to underwater, and dove in, rope in hand towing yak- or yak towing me, at first. The swift current makes it tough to take photos, as soon as you see something, your past it. I did get this mullet school.

I also saw manatees. First two adults, which I attempted to follow upstream. Hard to do towing the yak. I found a brach, tie dhte yak, and continued. Best I could do was the above tail shot.

Squeak, squeak. Manatee for ma-ma. A calf on the bottom, 20 feet down. Mom and sibling gathered the lost sheep, and headed upstream. Here, at a bend, the current was not so fast, so after wrapping the rope along a handy branch, I was able to follow and get some decent photos. Two adults, followed by a mother with two young'uns. This had to be the gang of five I saw on the way up. Not a bad snorkel. I got back in the yak, and paddled on. To meet two more manatees, likely the first two I saw on the way up river.

Not a bad day. And I was not half way back. I was thinking of reaching back to the cooler and grabbing a banana when I came upon a group taking a break. I had seen them on the way up, "Do you want some candy ? " a young girl asked. "Sure" I maneuvered close, she put a bag on my paddle, and, after a spill. I got it in the yak. Several treats, a lot of melted chocolate, I licked the wrappings, then tossed it in the cooler- had more today. Manatees and free candy, can't beat it.

I paddled past Rogers Park into the Gulf, hoping for a dolphin or two. None, low tide, but a nice Great Egret shot at the River mouth.

I rarely "eat out" after kayaking, unless you count gas station burritos in the car. Except when I paddle the Weeki Wachee. A place called the Upper Deck is across from Rogers Park. Sports bar ambiance, 3 college games on at the bar. Great river view. I always order the pasta seafood special. This time it was Sweet and spicy shrimp and scallops. With peppers, onions, mushrooms and broccoli over linguine. Served in a huge bowl, with toast points. Not to mention a cup of clam chowder, a dish of fresh veggie, and a eight inch loaf of bread with garlic dipping sauce. Plenty to take home for a second meal. Check it out next time you're in Week Wachee, Florida