Weeki Wachee

Saturday, January 24, 2009, I spent the paddling the Weeki Wachee River. It has been cold, not just cool, temps 32 or just below the last several mornings. Today was warmer, I'd say low forties when I shoved off from Rodgers Park at 7:20 am. ( Sunday, Weather.com reports it was 30 in nearby Spring Hill at 7:05. 32 at 8:05 )No other cars in the lot. The boat ramp is closed. Why, I don't know. And don't care. Canoes and kayaks can still be launched from a ramp dedicated to that purpose.









I assumed that manatees would be gathered in Hospital Hole, an in-River sinkhole a short paddle upstream from Rogers Park. They were. Five or six. I joined them. Photos did not turn out, probably due to lack of light. Lots of snapper. A sheepshead or two. I got back in the yak and headed upstream through the mist. Cool air meeting warm water kept the steam rising until 10:00 am when it finally burned off.









I paddled Weeki Wachee this same weekend last year. Saw 6 deer along the banks then, hoped to see some today. None on the way up. Of course, they could have been hidden in the mist. Saw a fishing boat early, before Hospital Hole, one kayaker, in the first two hours of paddling. Well past halfway, people began coming downstream. No big crowd, groups of 2 to 5 paddlers,
maybe 20 in all. Several asked if I saw manatees. As the take out for renters launching from the Weeki Wachee Canoe and Kayak Rental is upstream of Hospital Hole, they may not have seen any sea elephants.









I reached the end of the upstream paddle, the "No Vessels Beyond This Point" sign, about10:15. After chatting with some ladies at the nearby pontoon tour dock, I began the down stream trip.

I did not see many birds today. Mottled ducks above.

Lots of great non avian scenery.

I took a lunch break on a small, wet, sandbar on the right bank. It was full of raccoon tracks, robins flew about the trees. Back in the yak, saw a raccoon, turtles,

and a manatee. The latter at the tree climbing gator, for those of you familiar with the Weeki Wachee. Soon after that, I saw a group of paddlers looking to their right. Manatee ? I heard noise in the woods, then saw the deer. Three, nibbling on trees and shrubs.

I returned to Hospital Hole, the manatees were still there. As were 2 fishing boats and a family of idiots in two rental canoes. One moron, in the water seemed to be holding on to a manatee. The criminals left. I'm mad at myself for not saying anything. Next time I'll speak up- Hey dumb a@@ ! don't you know that is illegal, harmful, ignorant and just fu&*ing stupid ? Or should I be more tactful ?

I moved on, paddled past Rodgers Park, under the Shoal Line Road bridge, then beneath the low bridge on the right that takes one to the less developed section of the built up part of the Weeki Wachee. Homes on the left bank only. Tall grass and palms to the right. A shallow creek flows through the grass. I had never paddled its entire length. I thought it may empty into Mud Creek. It does. A nice detour. I'd guess it enters Mud Creek a half mile upstream of the confluence with the Weeki Wachee. I paddled to the confluence, and beyond, until the fishing pier at Bayport, on the Gulf was in view. I turned around, taking advantage of the incoming tide, which was nice afer a long day as I paddled up the Weeki Wachee.

On the way back, I saw the two fishing boats that had been at Hospital Hole. As it is just a short paddle from Rodgers Park, I went back. Another fishing boat was there, a canoe and 4 kayaks. All l well behaved. I got in.

No snapper or manatee was harmed during this photos. I did not touch, chase, separate, or otherwise harass the creatures. So far as I know. I was in the water twenty minutes. It was neat to dive down through the cool surface water into the warm water coming through the Hole, coming back up, telling a kayaker- "There's a school of snapper and three manatee under your kayak" Then go below again, and surface with a new count, "five".

Another great Saturday paddle. Topped off with a burger at the Upper Deck, watching the end of the Marquette win over DePaul. Also saw the start of the Badger game. I'm sure they came back.