Dave's Yak Tales: Hontoon Island Loop

I arrived at Blue Springs State Park before it opened this morning, Saturday March 3, 2009. Four cars were in front of me, but when the gate swung open at 8:00, they pulled off to the side. Must have been scuba divers, having to register. That allowed me to be first in the Park.

I saw three manatees and several snook as Iwalked towards the swim dock. Leaving shoes, towel, shirt on a bench, I continued to the swim/dive platform further up the boardwalk. Where a sign in the water stated, "Manatee Refuge, No Swimming Beyond This Point" I thought of going back to get my stuff, to have it close when I got out, which is why I left it where I did, but decided to get in the water instead.

Blue Spring Run is lower than I have seen it in my five years of kayaking and snorkeling. The low water makes the current faster. For the first time ever, I was unable to swim up to the Spring Head. The flow so powerful, I had to walk part of the way. At the Spring, nothing but gar and me.

The downstream trip was over in a flash. Walking back to get my shirt, towel, ect, a gentleman in long pants, jacket, cap, saw me in wet swimsuit and said "Cool morning for a swim" "The swim was warm, the walk is cool". I'll guess it was 55-60.

I got the kayak in the St Johns at 9:15. The Run is still closed to boats for manatee season.

Perhaps a week or two and the brown sign will be removed until November. I headed down the St Johns, as usual circling the island across from the French Avenue launch. Anglers in a boat at the chanel on the soth side of the island said the saw a manatee. I told them the back side of the island was a great place for wildlife, manatees, alligators and bald eagles. I saw 6-8 gators, and one manatee.

I'm guessing it is one of two rehabilitated manatees recently released in Blue Spring.

div>http://www.wildtracks.org/Florida/home.html I sent an email to Wild Tracks to report the sighting.

Around the island, back to the main channel of the St Johns River. A steady amount of traffic, fishing boats, pontoon boats.I saw no other paddlers until reaching Hontoon Island State Park. Here is some more of what I saw on the way.

The greyish bird is juvenile black crowned night heron. At the Hoonton State Park docks, a boat I've mentioned before, the "Bold Eagle" out of Green Bay, was berthed. As always, the Packer flag waved proudly in the breeze. I took a closer clock, and saw the Bold Eagle has current registration for Florida and Wisconsin. Living the dream,winter in Florida, summer in Wisconsin.

This house boat also has proper Florida registration. Its on the east bank of the Hontoon Dead River, just a short paddle from the State Park. I saw it my last trip here, February 1. I wonder why it is where it is. Squatter ? Ranger housing ?

Tri colored heron

The gator in the first photo is from the Hontoon Dead River (HDR). Here's more.

The HDR had less boat traffic then the St Johns. It is also a Slow No Wake area for its entire length. Anglers in bass boats more or less heeded the restriction. The worst violator was a family in a speed boat, barreling towards me. They slowed down, waved. I waved back. "Hello, criminals !" No paddlers once I got 30 minutes or so past the Hontoon State Park docks.

For the first time in at least 2 Hontoon Loop paddles, I did not take Snake Creek, but stayed on the HDR to the northernmost canal. Here is some canal wildlife.

As I neared the canal exit, a fishing boat looked like it might be blocking the way. It did not,and as I paddled between it and the shore, one of the fishermen said, "You were right, there was a lot of wildlife" I had to think for a moment, replying, "Oh, you're the guys I saw at the start of the day" Three and a half hours ago.

Paddling towards the main St Johns channel, I could not quite get this gator in the frame. Heads, and tail (+torso).

This area is a proven manatee area, especially on along then south bank, east of the entrance to Snake Creek. Sure enough, I saw one, than two more manatees.

Into the St Johns, now, by my standards, crowded. A beautiful high 70's day brought out boaters. There is an area were boaters can beach to enter the Park, it was full. Boater motored slowly up and down the River. And, finally, other paddlers. I paddled past the Blue Spring launch site, towards the island. Along the west bank, I saw this mother and calf.

At the start of the day, two of the three manatees I saw in the Run were a mother and child. I wonder if these were the same family.

No more manatees, but more gators on the back side of the island. Saw at least 20 through out the day. No additional gator pics, here are more ibis, cormorants, and a snowy egret.

The snowy was in the area where a snowy was riding a manatee my last visit. Didn't see that today. Back to the launch. A bus was parked at French Ave. "Quin's Kayak Tour" Curious, I googled it. Out of Daytona. First I've seen or heard of this company. Which can't get the Yak Dave seal of approval. The wildlife section of their website has a picture of an anhinga. Which they refer to as a "loon". Wrong. I sent them an email pointing out the error.

Update. Quin's Kayak gave a prompt answer to my email. The quick response gives them the Yak Dave sealof approval. http://www.kayakdaytona.com/

I landed, in the full Blue Spring State Park,car topped the yak, got on the bike for a 10 mile ride. Went about as slow as this gopher tortoise.

At Lake Beresford Park,I got off the bike, walked it 400 yards on a path through the woods to the Lake.

Pedaled back to Blue Spring. Snorkeled again. Walked even more up the Run this time. Right now,my arms feel more tired then they have ever been. I think the two short up Run swims took more out of me than 4.5 hours of paddling.

Unlike the morning, I shared the Run and Spring with others. Actually, just the Run. I had the Spring to myself, between people coming and going.

Final photos from the boardwalk. Snook

Gar and snook. Rick, the guitar playing volunteer, pointed out the snook among the gar. I told him I saw tarpon up the Run. Now that I think about it, the "tarpon" were snook. Glad I caught that mistake before publication.