Haulover Canal

I wanted to see manatees, dolphins and rosette spoonbills today, Sunday, May 2, 2010, so despite the forecast of a moderate chop, I drove east to Titusville and the Haulover Canal. As you see, I saw manatees. Did I see what else I hoped to? Read on. Or, scroll down for pictures. Which would make you like a lot of the boaters in the Canal today. Illiterate. Why else would they be making wakes in a Slow Speed Minimum Wake area?

The weather forecast, in my judgment, was wrong. I'd call the Indian River choppy when I launched about 9:40. Had the spray skirt on from the start as I began, as usual, paddling the one mile crossing to Mullet Head Island. I was not even half way when I decided I wasn't having fun, which is the point, so I turned back. Crossed the mouth of the Canal and decided to investigate some some small, dead end canals south of Haulover. Places where I've seen manatees. Two dolphins led the way. Here is one. The wind made it harder than usual to take dolphin photos, as I followed them south, into the wind. The canals offered a pleasant break from the wind. They did not offer any manatees. I paddled back towards the Canal with a capital C, Haulover Canal. Towards, not to, entering it from a side channel on the south. Which joins the Canal at "Dolphin Cove", where no dolphins were seen. On to Bairs Cove.
No boats coming in or out, for the moment, and at least three manatees. Perfect. Until I saw three kayakers coming in. To busy for me. Three followed by 3, and 3 more and 3 more and..... a tour group. More boats then manatees, really time to skipaddle (just made that up). I headed towards the drawbridge, thinking, well its nice to be on the water even though I haven't seen much today. Then I saw a manatee fluke rise from the water near the Manatee Observation Deck. And another. I went to observe.

A mating herd in action.





I had picked a good day to visit Haulover Canal after all. As had the folks watching from the deck. As for the tour group, I never saw them again. Wonder if all they saw were a couple manatees coming up for air in Bairs Cove, in contrast to the frenzied activity at the Decck. I watched for about twenty minutes, then headed to the Mosquito Lagoon. Went into the sheltered area on the northeast side of the Canal. Where some more manatees, not as many as at the Observation Deck, were acting frisky.
Got some more bird pics in the wind protected bay, snowy egrets, great blue and tri colored herons.

Paddled through a gap back into the Canal and into Mosquito Lagoon. Paddled further into the choppy water then I wanted, a gauntlet of fishing boats extending the Canal. Finally got past them, turned north, and let the wind push be to the first island where I turned back into the wind protected area. Where a shape lay on the water. Manatees don't lay there. Alligators do. Paddling into the wind I was able to get close before it sensed me.
Dolphin, manatee, alligator. The Florida Trifecta. With photos of each. A spoonbill flew overhead. Pink against the bright blue sky. To high for a pic. If only it joined this great egret.

I returned to the Manatee Overlook.

Where the frivolity continued.

Looks like I'll be in some people's pictures. Hope I was smiling.

I spent almost a half hours watching.



Does that make me a Peeping Tom?

I left the manatees. This sign is at Bairs Cove. I didn't even look for manatees, I'd seen plenty already.
And I saw two more, as they left the Cove and swam along the south bank of the Canal, east, towards the Indian River. As I was headed the same way, I kept pace with them. Arriving at the Indian River, I looked across the choppy water to Mullet Head Island, and decided to go for it. I came to see spoonbills, dolphins, and manatees. Plenty of the later, but only two dolphins and one far off rosette spoonbill. Maybe I'd see dolphins on the crossing, and spoonbills on the Island sanctuary. Last year on the first weekend of May, I saw lots of spoonies. The crossing was rough, but on the backside of the Island it was calm. I got my spoonbill pic. Not a very good one, it'll have to do. One of three I saw. I can't figure out what the bird to the left is.
This is a great egret
This a reddish egret
Pelicans and cormorants.

I landed at 2 PM. Thought about stopping somewhere to see the end of the Bucks game, but they were getting walloped. So, I stopped at Orlando Wetlands Park instead. Another great location for a mountain or trail bike. Which I am thinking of purchasing. And I remembered, my nephew has a bike shop in Key West. Must have been the ReCycle t-shirt I had changed into. Not to mention, its linked here. So, Evan, when do you turn over the rental fleet?

I walked the 2.5 mile main loop.

I've never seen so many glossy ibis.

It took me just over an hour for the walk. I went a bit farther then 2.5 miles, as there are many side trails. A hot walk, no shade on the berms, it was at least 90, probably hotter. The Wetlands Park is a great place for wildlife. A look at the sign in sheet showed people saw deer, otters, and crested caracara earlier in the day. Hard to believe this place of sernity is a wastewater treatment facilicty.