Homosassa and Halls Rivers

I left work today, Saturday, October 17, 2009, not yet having decided where I was going to kayak. The first real cool front of the season moved in last night. Temperatures in the 50's this morning. I thought that could bring manatees to springs. I may go to Blue Springs, or DeLeon Springs tomorrow. Early morning forecast is the mid 40's. Blue and DeLeon are fairly close to home, so if I go early, I can get a good paddle in and catch the Packer game. So today, I decided to check on the spring fed rivers on the Gulf coast. Crystal River, Homosassa River, Chasahowitzka River, and the Weeki Wachee River all beckoned. I decided to visit Homosassa.

The parking lot at McRae's, next to the ramp, was full. Not due to crowds, but a construction project took away spaces. So, I parked a block away, in the boat trailer lot. All the spaces are long, for truck and trailer. I saw just one vehicle, a pickup, without a trailer. I parked alongside it. First time I have parked in this lot. No fee that I could see.

I launched from the concrete ramp just before 2:00. Into the windy Homosassa. I had seen the tree branches bending during my drive over. Which is one reason I choose the Homosasasa over Crystal River. I'm sure the winds behind the cool front had the wide open Kings Bay whipped up. The Homosassa is broad, but the wind was largely at my back, or crossing, as I paddled up River to the Springs at Homosassa State Park.

The Riverside Resort is just upstream of McRae's. The short portion of the Homosassa from McRae's to the Springs is largely developed with homes and businesses, with a few unbuilt on sections of shore line on the right, south bank. I was glad to see the see the Slow No Wake restriction began on October 1, just upstream of the launch. Not that there was much traffic. Cool, windy, snowbirds aren't down, and the Gators had a 3:30 kickoff.

As I approached the Springs area, I saw the Manatee Sanctuary buoys were not yet in place . In previous years, they have gone up on November 15. I wondered if I could paddle up to the bridge at the edge of Homosassa Spring. No. The above pic is the limit. The bridge has vertical bars extending from the bottom of the bridge to the bottom of the River. To keep rehabilitating manatees in,wild ones, and people out. The only way to see the Spring is to pay the fee to enter the Park by land. Something I have not done. Five boats were in the area. No kayaks. No manatees either. I paddled under the bridge where I have anchored in the past before snorkeling, exploring the small spring runs/canals. A few lucky homeowners have property on small springs. This interlude kept me out of the wind. Back to the River, and the area where manatees hang out in cold weather. None that I saw. I explored another canal, this one all residential. Back to the Homosassa, and across to a small inlet full of wood ducks. No good photos. Then a cove with 6 great egrets, two here.
An osprey, the great blue heron in the first pic, and a blue heron.

I paddled back to the Park area, one more manatee search. I saw bubbles. Scuba divers. No manatees. I gave up, and headed down River. With the wind, it felt like up River.

I finally saw a manatee, along the north bank. I paddled along side, not to close, for a short time, then resumed my paddle into the wind. Did I wrote "wind"? The breeze on the Homosassa was nothing compared to the gusts on the Halls River. Unlike the Homosassa, the Halls River has limited development, most near the confluence with the Homosassa. I've seen bald eagles and dolphins on the Halls, and a manatee in one of the springs where the Halls begins. No chance of visiting those springs today. To late in the day. Even if I had time, the wind was too strong. I went 20, 30 minutes, then surfed back. Saw a manatee on the return sail.

It may not be "The Real Florida", but the monkeys on a little island across from the Riverside Resort provide an interesting photo opportunity.

As I've written on prior Homosassa Tales, unlike the rhesus monkeys on the Silver River, these can't swim. Yet.

I landed about 6:10. Not a great paddle. The wind was a pain, but any time in the yak is better then than the alternative.