Hontoon Island Loop

I returned to Blue Springs State Park for the first time since Father's Day, doing a slightly different paddle than that day. http://davesyaktales.blogspot.com/2008/06/hontoon-island-loop.html Today, Saturday 16, I utilized a canal instead of Snake Creek to return to the St Johns River from the Hontoon Dead River.




As I was getting ready to shove off, a kid said he thought he saw a manatee. I looked, saw disturbances caused by catfish and gar, not manatee. I told the young man that was likely what he saw. Turned out, I may have been wrong. ( A raccoon just ran across my yard-1st time I've seen one here).




I planned to paddle up to the Spring, but saw a manatee out in the St Johns, and went to investigate. I did not see it again, but saw an alligator. Returning to the launch area
to paddle up Blue Springs Run, I saw a manatee surface to my right. Turned out to be two, mother and calf. I gave them some space, watching the little one roll over. They began to swim up the Run, I shadowed them up to the second boardwalk overlook, where the seacows paused and I continued to the Spring. The lead off picture is coming back on Blue Spring Run from the Spring. I saw the kid on the swim dock, and told him there were manatees. This is a shot of the swim area later in the day.















I should have been snorkeling, as at 10:00 am, the Run was not yet crowded. Lots of fish beneath the yak.






I drifted back to the overlook where I left the manatees. I did not see them. Ahead, there was a disturbance at some shoreline vegetation. Two manatees feeding. I took a picture, but they went under, you can barely see the top of ones head, upper left of photo.









This was just on the edge of the launch area. Out in deeper water, another manatee raised a fluke. I was busy taking this picture.



Tri colored heron.




Also saw a blue heron along the Run.








For some reason, I usually do this trip on Sundays. There is much less traffic on Saturday, at least this Saturday. Less then five powerboats as I paddled down the St Johns to Hontoon Island State Park. Two kayakers, coming up stream. I did not see any more manatees. This paddle has bald eagle potential, none today. Settled for osprey.




I made the turn around the trip of Hontoon Island at the eponymous State Park, entering the Hontoon Dead River. Again, boat traffic was light. Four. Two powerboats violating the Slow No Wake restriction on the entire HDR, one pontoon boat, and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement craft. I had seen the FDLE boat on the St. Johns, and when I saw him again, I asked if he had written any tickets, "No, its been quiet" I mentioned the two speeders I saw, and then we heard an engine, loud. A boat, one of the two I saw earlier, came around the bend, way off plane. Busted ! I love it.


My last Hontoon trip, I was disappointed to see my lunch stop fenced off with a no trespassing sign. More permanent signs are now posted. This was the perfect stop. The docks of Hontoon Island State Park are too early in my route. This is also the only flat place to land on the HDR.

So, I paddled on, entered Snake Creek, and took my lunch break here.

The first high ground on the Creek, not to far from the HDR. Lots of snail shells, must be a midden.

Two HDR birds.

Great Egret, anhinga.

Canal connecting the Hontoon Dead and St. Johns River

I was surprised that other than the gator I saw early, I saw no others until I returned to Blue Springs State Park and saw one in the lagoon just upstream of the Run. In the Run, I paddled along this guy.

And this one.

The alligators were well upstream of the swim area. I went back to the St Johns, circling the island just downstream for the second time of the day, then came back, landed, got the yak on the car and snorkeled the Spring Run. Here's a sample of what I saw.

Blue gills, sun fish, gar, mullet, tilapia.

After a five hour paddle, plus putting the yak on the car, the 30 minute snorkel in the 72 degree water was the perfect way to end the day.