Homosassa and Halls Rivers

Some days, everything falls into place and you have a perfect paddle. Today, Saturday, December 6, 2008 was one of those days. I was in the water at 7:00 am, launching from the asphalt ramp at the end of Cherokee Way, next to McRae's motel, bar and bait shop, on the Homosassa River in Homosassa, Florida. The Gulf of Mexico is seven miles to the west, the Springs that form the River 2.5 miles east. I headed east, so early the monkeys were asleep.



Birds were awake, osprey, great blue herons, great egrets, flocks of ibis in V formation. As I approached the Springs, steam began to rise off the River, the warm water interacting with the cool air. Not to cool, two top layers were fine. One small fishing boat passed, headed the other way. I was looking for pontoon boats, manatee tour pontoon boats, to be specific. I did not see any until I arrived at the Springs. Just outside the Springs, as the head springs are inside Homosassa Springs State Park and can't be accessed from the River. With the exception of fish that can swim in an out through a barrier. The area outside the barrier is a manatee sanctuary. A second manatee sanctuary is along the opposite bank. My last visit to the Homosassa, Thanksgiving 2007, most manatees were in the sanctuary areas. Not today. The middle of the River was full of sea elephants. I paddled to a bridge on my right, anchored, donned snorkel gear and swam to see what I could see.

The tour boat folks were no longer in the water, it was just the manatees and I. The tour captain asked how I could be in the water without a wetsuit. "I'm from Wisconsin" I don't see why people wear wetsuits. The water is 70 degrees. My theory is rental wetsuits are a money maker for tour operators.

There were so many manatees that while trying to avoid one, I'd turn and swim over another, then kick, accidentally, a third with my fin.

I decided to swim back to the kayak. It took a while, as the manatees were following me. In maneuvering to avoid them, I'd look up and see I was swimming down river, or to the sanctuary, not to my kayak. I got straighted out, one manatee following like a big puppy until it got to shallow. Guess he was just keeping an eye on me.

The manatees still showed interest when I was out of the water. These are views from the yak.

I left the manatees, most of them anyway, as there were more down River. Time for some bird watching.

Pics of two elusive species. Wood ducks and a belted kingfishers. What a day, lots of manatees, now photos of birds I have a hard time capturing in the lens. And then...

A dolphin. I was surprised to see one so far up River. I turned around, following it as far as the sanctuary. You can see the buoys delineating the area. A local told me dolphins come all the way upstream often, chasing mullet up to the barrier separating the Spring from the River.

I turned about, again. More birds.

The first pileated woodpecker picture on Dave's Yak Tales. To bad I could not get both birds on the tree in the picture.

The Homosassa River has homes, marinas and other structures along most of the 2.5 miles form McRae's to the Springs. Halls River, which enters the Homosassa from the north about half way to the Springs, has only a few small areas with homes. My kind of place.

Dolphins like it too. This pair accompanied me for at least 40 minutes upriver. The Halls River is shallow, so the dolphins had to stay near the surface as they fished. As I passed the Natures Resort Campground, one dolphin, intent on catching a fish, charged by my kayak, rocking it with its wake. It was successful, circling back with a fish in its teeth. A show for a guy watching from the dock. Who was so impressed, that 5 minutes later, I could hear him telling his buddy about the dolphin that "rocked that guy's kayak"

Not enough depth for dolphins where these wood storks are wading.

Halls River is spring fed. I was looking for the source. I had paddled all the way up once before, and seeing a manatee here,

thought it was the main spring for the Halls. But, the last part of the River has been canaled canalized ? so it is hard to tell what is the original channel. Another canal leads here.

Clearer water and snapper, this must be the source.

The Halls has a lot of character, shallow passages through the grass, and wide open lake like areas.

I wonder what the story is behind this place. Not your typical Florida river residence.

My perfect day continued as a bald eagle soared overhead.

Landing on a towering pine.

Two final bird pics.

And two monkeys.

The monkeys are on a small island across from a hotel/restaurant. Unlike the reshus monkeys on the Silver River, these simians can't swim, so the Homosassa won't be overrun with chimps.

I landed about 1:15, 6 plus hours on the water. I had a scallop basket and couple beers at McRae's before heading home.

Another version of this tale, focusing on the Halls River can be found on the Green Wave Forum.

http://www.clubkayak.com/greenwave/trips.asp?op=showlocation&location=176