Homosasa River, Halls River

Saturday February 20, 2010, kayaked the Homosassa and Halls Rivers, in Homosassa Springs, FL. Launched at McRae's about 8:40 am. A bit cool to start,52, but I went out in swim suit, anticipating a snorkel when I reached the area just outside Homosassa Springs State Park. Pelicans, monkeys and cormorants on the way up River.


The monkeys, as you recall, or are learning as a first time visitor to Dave's Yak Tales, are on a small island across from the Homosassa Riverside Resort. Unlike the Silver River simians, these can't swim. Yet.

Bald eagle on the south side of the Homosassa.

Eyes off the trees, back to the water. A swirl, moving fast. One quick manatee, I thought. Wrong, a pair of dolphins. Heading down the River. Unable to photo them.

In less than a hour, I was near the end, or rather the beginning of the Homosassa. Two pontoon boats were already there, but the wet suited swimmers were upstream of my anchorage near a bridge. Passed several manatees on the way, then I got in the water.

I wasn't in the water 15 minutes with the manatees, snapper, sheepshead, and bass(not pictured). Water pretty cool on the surface, warmer down a few feet. But, my timing was perfect, as a pontoon boat disgorged a mass of kids as I was getting out.

More boats and more people came as I left, as did a large group of manatees.









The Halls River flows into the Homosassa from the north, about 1/3 of the way back to the launch at McRae's.

I like the Halls, which unlike the Homosassa, is largely devoid of development.



Wild pigs.

The next pic turned out well.

I have wondered how the stone house behind the flying wood stork got in the middle of such a wild area.

The Halls has a variety of plant communities, low grassy area, hammocks, wide "lakes", shallow clear runs closer to the source.

This was the third time I have paddled to the end of the Halls River. It ends in a series of residential canal. I thought I found the spring that forms the River several years ago, then last year, decided it was at the end of a different canal, this time, after paddling to the end of all 4 or five canals, I'm not sure where it is. But, no doubt, there is a spring.

All the birds made me think, chicky, chicky, what ?

This property has been for sale for awhile

I saw two other paddlers and one small motor boat on the Halls. Back to the Homosassa, a different story. Full of all types of boats on the first nice day in a while. The temp reached 72.

Back to Monkey Island, and McRae's, about 2:45.
Drove home, and do something I rarely do. Cleaned house a little, and vacuumed the crumbs off the passenger car. A friend, Robert J., was in Florida and coming for a visit.
He arrived, and we went downtown for a free Blues concert. Got there as Shemika Copeland was finishing her set. Headliner was John Mayal. Kudos if you got the "Room to Move" reference earlier in the Tale.