Fort DeSoto

A new post on Dave's Yak Tales, but not a first visit to this wonderful park at the entrance to Tampa Bay. Family and friends know about this trip, but I haven't visited May, 2007

Fort DeSoto Park lays like a chicken's foot off the southwestern corner of Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, FL). The Park consists of 6 or 7 keys. Two toll bridges lead to it, .85. No admission fee for the Park. The fort at Fort DeSoto was built to defend the approach to Tampa during the Spanish American War. The War ended in a few months, it took several years to complete the Fort. It remains to this day, makes an interesting tour. I did not visit it today, other than driving past. My plan was to get a close up view of another fort, Fort Dade, also built at the turn of the 19th century. Fort Dade is on Egmont Key, a mile across the Gulf from the northwestern chicken toe. It is accessible only by boat. Although only a mile from the tip of Fort DeSoto, getting to it requires crossing an 80 foot deep channel, frequented by very large ships. Something to do only when the weather is clear, the Gulf calm. Not the case today.

I picked out the only section of clear sky for this picture.







A kayak can be launched almost anywhere in the Park, I launched near the rental concession, pictured above. I was going to launch at the concession, but was told I had to go down the dirt road to the next opening. Just as well, to avoid the weekend renters, but a change from earlier visits:


The attendant said I could pull my car to the edge of the water. He also asked if I had a guidebook and map. I did from a prior visit, but appreciated the friendly help. The concession is at the start of a 2.25 mile marked trail in an inlet named "Soldier's Hole". Numbered posts correspond to sections in the guidebook describing the plants, animals and history of Fort Desoto. Mangrove lined, Soldier's Hole offers protection on windy days.






The paragraph above is from a June 23, 2005 trip, posted on Paddling.net. Click here if you want the full version. http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1105






Today's paddle was the same route I did three years ago. Began in the protected water near the rental concession. As I was putting in, a large, talkative gang of paddlers passed by. I prefer solitude and quiet when paddling, so I passed them. On my right, I saw what could have been a manatee swirl. I paused, saw no manatee, but a few fish and went on. Behind me, I heard "A manatee !" Perhaps there had been one when I passed. This was my sixth, maybe seventh trip to Fort DeSoto, and I had not yet had a confirmed manatee sighting. I paddled on, past a trio of small mangrove islets that mark the end of a marked paddling trail. The waterway broadens, I've seen dolphins in this area. Anglers waded in the shallow water, casting over the seagrass beds. I was in Mullet Bay, the majority of which is a combustion motor exclusion zone, with a minimum wake corridor. Perfect paddling. It had drizzled a bit, but now, the rain held off, suface glassy. I passed a few more wading fishermen, when a manatee breached the waterline, head and shoulders out of the water. I can now add the waters of Fort DeSoto to the locations where I've seen manatees. Here's the list, off the top of my head.



Weeki Wachee River



Hommosassa River



Halls River



Crystal River



Chassahowitzka River


St Johns River



Hontoon Dead River



Blue Spring



Wekiva River



Indian River



Mosquito Lagoon



Haulover Canal



Turkey Creek


Spring Garden Creek (not off the top of my head, added Sunday 6-22-08)




I waited for the seacow to resurface. It did, once that I saw. I moved on, paddling towards the tip of the chicken toe. I arrived at the tip, and entered the Gulf. The choppy Gulf. I took a look at the Egmont Key Lighthouse, a mile or so to the south, got soaked by a wave, watched lightining flash in the distance and decided to turn back.






But first, I crossed the narrow channel eastward, keeping an eye out for power boats leaving from and returning to the six lane ramp and landed on Shell Key. Shell Key is aptly named. I'm not much for shelling, but the only unbroken sand dollars I've ever picked up are here, including one today. Shell Key is usually a popular spot for weekend boaters, today a lone craft was anchored, the crew on the beach, under a tent as the rain was coming. I landed, turned the yak over, and headed to the interior. A lizard let me share its spot under a seagrape bush to get out of the rain.








The showers disapated, and I went back to the open beach. I doubt the tide left this line of shells.








Shell Key is a bird sancturay, 1/2 of the island is off limits to homo sapiens. Birds that nest on beaches have a lot of competiton from human devepopment and recreation. Setting aside areas like Shell Key increase the chances future generations can enjoy birds like these black skimmers.








These are very cool birds. They feed, flying low, skimming the water, bright orange beak wide open, lower half in the water. Very protective. I walked the beach, outside the roped off nesting area, until two skimmers convinced me to turn around, by flying very close, veering off at the last moment. My escort continued well past the start of the nesting area. Hers's a so so view of a black skimmer, sorry its not centered.

For some reason, I want a bowl of Fruit Loops.

I passed this bird walking to the yak.

No idea what it is. Young pelican ? Needs to grow the beak.

Shell Kay remained almost empty. Myself, the boat I saw when I arrived, and three guys fishing. They got out of their boat to wade and cast in the surf. Then one of the anglers began to run along the beach. I figured he was following a big one. No, the boat came loose, he was running to ask the other boater for help. He got it. What kills me, is, as the boat was drifting away, other powerboaters and jet skiers zoomed past, not one pausing to check on the appparently abanonded vessel. I applauded the guy who did help.

Before I left Shell Key, a dolphin passed by, headed the same way I was about to. I got back in the water, but did not see it again. The wind blew strong, from the northeast, at my back for a bit, but as the contour of the shore changed, more of a right angle. A somewhat difficult paddle particularialy where Tampa Bay flows into Mullet Bay under the bridge to the Park.

Few boats on the water. The rain scared them off. Anglers are hardier, several were still casting in waist deep water. Here is an avain angler.

Here's a cormorant. Perhaps the bird on the beach was one ? But it seemed bigger. I have another question. This cormorant has a white belly, instead of the usual all black. Any ideas why ?

Perhaps I'm misidentifying it. I did not not mis ID the manatee that sufaced near me in the general area where I thought I saw one earlier. I also saw great blue and black crowned night herons, ibis and great egrets. And a rosete spoonbill. Not in the Park, but in a golf course rentention pond at the Pinellas Bayway turn. Saw it both on the way in and way out.

The rental concession was shuutered when I landed. Not because of the hour, it was about 2:30, but he weather. A disapointed family saw me and and asked if I worked there. "But it stopped !" a litle girl said, "can we use yours ?" I should have said, "Sure, for fifty bucks and daddy's license". Just as well, as soon as I got the yak on the car, it began to rain, hard. So no Fort or cannon pictures. This time.

Fort DeSoto Park has lots to do, its a shame I have not been here for over a year. I'll be back.