Mosquito Lagoon Canaveral National Seashore

Went to the Canaveral National Seashore today, Sunday, March 7, 2010 and paddled the Mosquito Lagoon. My first visit to Canaveral since November 15, 2009. Almost 4 months ago. I did yak the Lagoon from Haulover Canal the Sunday after Christmas. Blame the weather for my long absence. Seems every weekend in 2010 was windy and choppy. So I've been staying inland. But today, the NOAA forecast was winds 5-10, light chop on the Intracoastal waters. So off to the Seashore I headed. Glad I went there instead of Haulover, at least for driving purposes. After getting home, I checked the Seashore website for camping information, and found out that the Max Brewer Causeway is closed until March 13. That's my direct route to Haulover Canal. Before I get to the rest of this Tale, I found out why the Weeki Wachee River was so quiet yesterday. It was 29 degrees at 7 am. Did not feel that cold, I'm sure on the water it was warmer, say 35 or so.

I arrived at Lot 7, the hand launch area, at 8:40. Several cars in the lot, but it turned most of them belonged to a group of ladies who were landing as I was going out. They had camped on Orange Island. I was thinking of paddling out to Orange Island to check out the site. They told me where it was. They had learned the hard way Saturday, coming within yards of the campsite, but going left, circling the entire island before returning (almost) to where they started. Here is a link to a map of Mosquito Lagoon in the National Seashore with campsites. http://www.nps.gov/cana/planyourvisit/upload/camping-02.pdf



The kayak launch site is just north of Eldora. I had no problem finding the Orange Island camp site.


An easy paddle from the kayak launch. I'll be camping here someday. I found out something important from the lady campers. You pay when you arrive, not when reserving the site. Important for weather related cancellations. Speaking weather, the forecast was way off. Wind was steady out of the north, had to be over 10 mph. Paddling northward along Orange Island, then turning northeast, from the Homestead campsite,through the mosaic of islands, I was somewhat protected. I had an old version of the map attached here. Homestead is not on it, or I would have looked for it and stopped had I found it.

Royal tern, Reddish egret

I was paddling an area of the Lagoon that I may have not paddled before. I write "may" because back when I was self-employed and broke, I used to launch from River Breeze Park on the west side of the Lagoon. No fee, compared to $3 at the National Seashore. I had a number of "extended adventures" back then. Some people call it getting lost. I was never lost, as I always found my way back. Sometime, it just took awhile. Anyway, somewhere in the small island between Orange and Shipyard Islands, I found quite the bird concentration.

White pelicans, rosette spoonbills, ibis, and more.

More spoonbills then I've ever seen when launching in the National Seashore. It paid to get off my usual route, along the east shore of the Lagoon. I now entered Shipyard Island from the south, at trail marker 7. A paddling trail, with numbered posts, winds through the island. It begins on the east side of the island, across from the boat ramp

I had a map with me, but even with it, I came to an intersection where I did not know which way to turn. I chose left, which was incorrect if I wanted to stay on the trail. On the other hand, it took me out of the north end of Shipyard Island, where, I could investigate two more campsites. Past a blue heron, snowy egret, and blue heron, and I was out of Shipyard Island. The snowy egret left, too.

I stopped at the campsites, Headwinds
and Shipyard

Of the three sites I visited, I like Orange best. Seems to have the most shade, and is the shortest paddle. Camping at the other two would require launching from the boat ramp, not the kayak launch. You could put in at the kayak launch, but it would add considerable distance. The Headwinds site was covered with ash, could be a dirty stay. The Shipyard fire pit was full of beer cans and two empty gallon water jugs. As it is on the edge of the National Seashore, I bet local yokels use it as a party spot. I was a bad boy, I left the trash. Made up for it later, picking up some trash at Turtle Mound and five beer cans at the kayak launch. Which, as happens 9 out of 10 times when I see beer cans paddling, were Busch and Natural Light. Cheap people who drink crappy beer don't care about the environment.

My immediate environment was a paddle across the main channel. Windy, and shallow. A huge sandbar almost in the middle of the Lagoon, exposed by low tide.
As you may have surmised from the buildings in the background, I was out of the National Seashore. I paddled across to the cove at Bethune Park where manatees congregate. In warmer weather. None today.

Out of the cove, I paddled back to the launch in the main channel, wind pushing me. Stopped for lunch at Turtle Mound.

I did not walk to the top of the Mound. Probably the first time I've ever landed at the based, and not gone to the top, barring the time it was closed as the boardwalk was made ADA compliant.

Back in the Lagoon, pushed by the waves. Looked for dolphins, the often feed near Turtle Mound. Probably why it is there. Lots of fish and shellfish in the area.

Saw no dolphins, maybe it was too cool and windy for them, too.

I paddled past my launch, towards the Eldora dock, on my fruitless dolphin search. The crossroads of two channels, the main north-south passage, and a channel leading west, past the south end of Orange Island, is often a dolphin highway. Not today. Turned into the wind, paddled to my launch site, landing about 1 PM. A kayaker who landed just before me said his GPS had him moving, with the wind, without paddling at 2.5 mph.

Put the kayak on the car, and went to the Eldora House, intending to ask about camping. A ranger outside the House told me the Visitor Center, which had been in the house, was now in a trailer back at the old Visitor Center site. I asked why the old center had been demolished. She said it began as a trailer, had been expanded over the year, and had lots of problems, including "sagging in the middle" (sounds like my body) The new Center will be cinder block. "Better for hurricanes, I said. "And tornadoes".

I stopped at the Hammock Trail, a scenic half mile stroll.

Next stop was the Visitor Center, where I asked if the Orange Island site was available next Saturday. It's not, nor are any of the others. Reservations are taken a week in advance, so I should call next Saturday to see what's available. If I do camp the 20th, I'll be camping twice in two weeks, as I have a reservation April 3 for the Moccasin Springs site in the Seminole State Forest. The place I camped Christmas Eve. One more stop before I left. Had to see the seashore. Wind was very gusty on the beach. Big waves. Here's the view from sand level.


One more Atlantic view from the dune crossover.
Turn around, Mosquito Lagoon.