Haulover Canal

This Tale is dedicated to the man who taught me how to paddle. Or, as the fourth of seven children, taught my older siblings to paddle, then told them to teach me. Happy Father's Day, Dad. Miss you. The location was inspired by a Yak Tales reader, who emailed me a few pics from his first visit to Haulover on Friday. A dedicated reader, he knows what the trifecta is.

Before I continue with today's Tale, I forgot to mention Tuesday, at Wekiwa Springs State Park I saw just the second Protect Florida Springs license plate since I bought mine in November.http://www.buyaplate.com/Protect%20Florida%20Springs I should say the first other than mine.

Back to Sunday. In the water at 8:40. Reddish egrets, tri colored herons and a great egret on a point to the right as you paddle into the Indian River. My photos did not turn out. 15 or so of my first photos are fuzzy. Not sure why, maybe I did not have the camera set properly, or perhaps taking pics into the sun did not help. Here's an example.


Rosette spoonbills. A shame the pics did not turn out, at the amount and variety of birds on Mullet Head Island was fantastic. Eventually, the camera began to work properly

Great egrets, reddish egrets, pelicans, cormorants, tri colored herons, rosette spoonbills, snowy egrets, and more.

The fuzzy photos have an artsy quality. Or is that fartsy?

Saw the first dolphin of the morning as I paddled back towards Haulover Canal. And, per usual, across the entrance to explore some of the dead end canals.

No manatees in either canal I paddled into. Three kayaks came out of the second. Where an alligator swam.
I wanted to get this great blue heron in line with NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building.
Lift off !
------ Paddled to the alternate canal, where the second gator of the day floated.
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I don't recall seeing two alligators in the Haulover Canal area before. At the other end of the canal, a dolphin, in "Dolphin Cove"





Saw the first manatee of the day, swimming westbound in Haulover Canal. I had the Florida Trifecta. Dolphin, alligator and manatee. Now I needed to get a photo of a manatee, to add to the dolphin and alligator. On to Bairs Cove.

I saw 4 manatees. Three in a group, one off by its own. There may have been more, but boat noise at the ramp kept them hidden. Missed the best photo op. The lone one swam under the yak, then surfaced for a look, just as a wake from an a-hole in the Canal rocked us both and it went under. Back into the Canal, paddling towards Mosquito Lagoon.
Another dolphin, on the other side of the bridge, more manatees at the Manatee Overlook. Into Mosquito Lagoon
Clouds rolling in.






















Time to head back as I heard thunder in the low, dark clouds.












Saw two more manatees in the Canal. Bairs Cove was full of boaters and kaykers, so I passed it by. The dolphin in the opening pic was just off the launch site as I landed just before noon.
On the way home, I stopped for a bike ride at Orlando Wetlands Park

Nice place for a waste water treatment facility.

I rode for an hour, 6 miles, under threatening skies.

The rain came down just as I was finishing. It passed quickly, I was able to wait it out in a shelter that has exhibits and information about the Park. This time of year, the morning is the time to be outside.