Weeki Wachee River

I had a great paddle on the Weeki Wachee River today, Saturday, March 6, 2010. Up well before dawn, launched from Rogers Park at 7:00. Landed a minute later to get sunglasses out of my car, the only one in the lot. Relaunched, down the short canal to a foggy Weeki Wachee.

At least three manatees congregated at the Hospital Hole sink/spring. To cool for me to join them, yet. I wore two shirts, a windbreaker, and nylon pants. Also too foggy to get a manatee photo. Cool air interacting with the warm River. Clear at roof level.
Steamy on yak level.
Although, this wood stork was in the same area as the great egret and great blue heron above.
The fog remained, sometimes very thick, for 3/4 of the up River paddle. At the same time, the sun was shining in my eyes as I paddled east. Good thing I retrieved my shades. Between the sun and fog, visibility was poor. Saw no more manatees on the way up River. Spotted one otter, hindquarters and tail disappearing into some reeds.
I had the Weeki Wachee River to myself. I saw the first down river paddlers, a couple in a canoe, after paddling two and a half hours. "Nice way to start the day" I said referring to a bald eagle. From their reaction, or lack thereof, I'm not sure they saw it. "It's all so beautiful" said the bow paddler, camera focused ahead, not up.

Less then 5 minutes later, I reached the end of the up River paddle. A tad more than 2 and a half hours.


I had hoped to arrive early enough to maybe sneak over the "No Vessels" sign, but no such luck. Although Weeki Wachee State Park was not yet open at 9:45, two park employees were on the nearby tour boat, preparing it for the day. I lingered a moment, hoping for a manatee or two to come out from the Spring, then turned around. Asked the boat crew how long the eagle had been in the area, the guy said two had been around for a while, he thought there will be babies soon. I think this mottled duck pair is on the WW each time I visit.

This is the launch area at Weeki Wachee State Park.

I reaped the benefits of the vigorous up river paddle, letting the current do the work on the return. No hurry, no worry.
I wonder if this is the nest of the eagle I saw. It is just down, and across the River from where I saw it. The eagle was not perched on the dead tree, just down river from the launch, on my return paddle.
The WW provides scenic photo ops, even with no critters in the frame.



Back to animal shots. After all, aren't they one of the trademarks of Dave's Yak Tales?








After taking the above great blue heron photo, a pair of manatees, mother and calf, swam past.

I followed them for forty minutes.

The manatees let the current do the work, I never saw a tail move to propel them, only correcting strokes with flippers. The same way I paddled, an occasional stroke to keep a straight line, or avoid passing the manatees. They stopped at an area where I've seen manatees before. A narrow, marshy, reedy section. Lots to eat. I put my hand in the water. Warmer then it had been. I wonder if a small spring back in the reeds warms the river here, another reason manatees like it. Back to birds. Blue heron.
Out of the marshy section, back in the cypress forest. Noise. Sounds like a deer. Wrong. Three deer.








Despite my hawk like eye, I was only able to photo two.
Speaking of two, I saw my second paddlers of the day, two kayakers coming up River. Three boats in more than four hours. On a Saturday. And no motor boats. I soon saw motor boats, 2, before I landed. Two more kayakers, in the residential canal off the River, just before Hospital Hole. Manatees were at the sink hole.
Morning fog long gone, the photo turned out. I beached the yak and got in the water.

The fish are jack crevale. They must like warm water. I've seen, and posted before, a huge school of them in Silver Glen Springs. Manatee and sheepshead.

More jacks.

I was in the water about ten minutes, cool on the surface, warmer below. As I toweled off, I notice there were 5 manatees in the area. A tandem kayak went by, not even noticing. Apparently they went to find friends, as they came back, with 4 other paddlers. Time for me to go.

Usually on the Weeki Wachee, I'll paddle out to the Gulf, via the Mud River. Today, I had been thinking of finding Salt Creek, off the Mud. But, I did not sleep much last night, the wind was kicking up, so I landed. After 1, a nice six hour day.

At the canoe/kayak ramp, a gentleman was putting his surfboard, and wife's kayak on their van. He had done a stand up paddle out to the Weeki-Mud confluence. I admired his strapdowns. Bicycle inner tubes. Quite practial. I then noticed his windshield. Wisconsin State Parks annual pass. That explains it. I hope I'm as energetic as Tom and Betsey, snowbirds from Green Bay, when I reach, and pass, retirement age.

I had a wonderful day, and it got even better on the way home. "Best Of Cream" in the CD. Last song, "Badge" Great driving song. I'm jamming with Eric and George, when I look at the speedometer, over 75, at the same time seeing a sherriff. Oh, oh. Who turned around, and eventually put his lights on. I pulled over, rolled the window down, put both hands on the wheel, where he could see them. Officer Bishop came up, asked what I thought the speed limit was. 60. No, he informed me, it dropped to 55 a bit further back, and his radar had me at 77. He asked where I had been,where I was going and when my last ticket was. I think the last question was the key. My response was 5 or 6 years ago, in the Keys. He went back to the squad car, I imangine ran the records, saw I was truthful, it may have been more than 6 years since my last ticket, and let me off with a warning. Nice way to end the day.