Canaveral National Seashore/Mosquito Lagoon

I kayaked Mosquito Lagoon today, Sunday, October 11, 2009. Launched the yak from Lot 7, the designated launch site in the Canaveral National Seashore at 9:15. Flat water to begin the morning.

Disturbed only by my paddle and the occasional dolphin. And fishing boats, the powerboat lot was full, but most of them were already long gone, or if I saw them, on the other side of the many islands in the Lagoon. I headed north to one of those islands, Shipyard, to paddle the trail through its interior.
I entered Shipyard Island, easy to find, across from the boat ramp, marked by PVC pipes, at 10 am. Green heron.
Belted kingfisher









Great blue heron

Tri colored heron

Great egret

The Shipyard tour took an hour. I crossed the Lagoon, paddling south to Turtle Mound. Saw another dolphin.

I landed, and walked up the boardwalk to the top of the fifty foot high shell mound with panoramic views of the Ocean and Lagoon. Didn't take any photos, I have plenty already. If you want to see some, just put "Turtle Mound" in the Search box. Back to the water, the forecast north wind at my back, I renewed my southbound voyage.

I thought "piano" as I photographed these two cormorants.

On a recent Mosquito Lagoon visit, I saw manatees near these pilings. Not today. I saw my first manatee of the day just south of here, off the Eldora dock. Southward, I continued, checking out little cove where I've seen manatees before. Two maybe three were present. A boat went by, the manatees submerged. A minute later, two headed out of the cove. As did I. Still southbound, towards Castle Windy.
Castle Windy is another shell mound. Not as high as Turtle, walking on it is not allowed. There is a very nice, 1/2 trail from the Lagoon to the Atlantic. I had the landing area in sight, but as the north wind was strong, and I was tired from seven plus hours paddling Saturday on the Wekika River and Blackwater Creek, I decided to paddle out the end of an island, circle it, and journey north to the launch site.

I went back to the little cove, three manatees were feeding on mangrove roots.

Back to paddling, looking at Eldora State House from the south.
Spotted a dolphin in the channel leading away from Eldora. The area is a dolphin highway, I've seen lots here in the past. But, it was too far and I was to tired to follow the dolphin to its pod.

Kayaking past the old pilings and government dock, a manatee. I stopped paddling, waiting for it to resurface. I was about to give up, when it came up again, this time next to me. I drifted, a bit far in the wind, did not see it again. Picked up the paddle and made way to the landing. A kayaker, south bound, looked as if he was headed to the landing, and we'd get there at the same time. I slowed, trying, unsuccessfully to photo a dolphin that the other guy, who had been fishing, said had followed him for thirty minutes. He landed, and as I waited, the landing area is a gap in the mangroves, I saw my last manatee of the day. I think I landed at 1:45, a 4.5 hour paddle.

Stopped at J.B.'s Fish Camp on the way out. Had a bowl of oyster stew, and a plate of scallops.

This is the way to enjoy oysters.