Haulover Canal

I worked half a day today, Tuesday, July 12, 2011. Yea !  I'll work Saturday morning, Boo!.  But, I got to go kayaking on a weekday.  I had not been to Haulover Canal for a while.  April 23. The forecast was ok, 50% chance of rain, a light chop, so off to Titusville and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. A dolphin swam off shore as I got the yak ready for launch. Into the Indian River at 2:45, usual destination, Mullet Head Island.

Saw another dolphin on the way.  I say another, as the first was last seen headed east, in Haulover Canal, headed towards Mosquito Lagoon.  Of  course, it could have turned around.

Pelicans, cormorants and great egrets on the sand bar on the northeast corner of Mullett Head Island.

As you know, Mullet Head Island is a bird sancturay. 

If you did not know, welcome to Dave's Yak Tales.

I was amazed at the number, and variety of birds on a mid July, afternoon.  Great, snowy and reddish egrets, great blue, blue and tri colored herons, ibis, cormorants, roseate spoonbills and pelicans.  Probably more that I missed, or can't recall. Or name.

I like it when I get, 1,2 3, and more birds in one shot.

All these photos are from the west side of the Island, which is usually the protected side. It was today. But when I came around the north end.

The wind really kicked up.  Out of the south.  Whitecaps on the Indian River.  There were just as many birds on the east side of the Island, but this is the only picture I took.

Needed to concentrate on paddling.  Besides, the Sanctuary markers are further out on the east side, so its harder to get good pics.  Really hard with two foot waves.   The chop made me change my usual route.  I did not cross the mouth of Haulover Canal, paddle south (into the wind and waves) and enter the natural canal.  I sought the protection of the Canal ASAP.

No dolphins in "Dolphin Cove".  But this was.

Kayak launch ? No, can't be.  Probably just stabilizing the parking lot at the Bair's Cove boat ramp. Where I headed next.  The Cove, not the boat ramp.

A group of manatees frolicking.

Or, perhaps, fornicating.  Two manatees served as bouncers.  Pushing me away from their randy mates.

I had the Cove almost to myself.  A gentleman fished from the bank while his family watched the manatees from the new dock.  One boat launched.  Unlike a weekend, when there often is a stream of boats launching and landing.

I hung out with the manatees for half an hour. Left the Cove, paddled east in the Canal towards Mosquito Lagoon.

Just a couple manatees at the Manatee Overlook.

Into Mosquito Lagoon.

 Historic site, above. Spot from where I watched Space Shuttle Discovery launch on July 4, 2006.  This is the jetty on the north side of the Canal.  My next six launches I watched on, or near the jetty on the south side.  A wee bit closer.  Alas, no more Space Shuttle.  I will check NASA's calendar for other rockets and hopefully have a pic or two in the future.

Still windy and rough, I let the wind push me past the first island north of the Canal and then shot the gap between two islands.

Wood stork and spoonbill.   I don't think I've ever seen spoonbill in this area before.  On my Haulover tours, I see them at Mullet Head, and once or twice in the alternate channel.

The spoonbill did not appreciate my presence and flew away. To the next gap between the island chain.

This time, I left before it did. 

It was a nice afternoon, hot, of course, but the clouds were off to the west.  I assume the sea breeze pushed them that way.

The protected area I was in has a shallow area, where wading birds feed.

Don't know if its the same spoonbill with the egret and heron.  I went  back into the Canal, paddled towards the Indian River.

 Saw two manatees transiting the Canal before I arrived at the Overlook.  The one below in the usual spot, a little indentation just east of the observation platform.

 Clouds coming back east.

Back to Bair's Cove.  It turns out that rocky area I paddled past earlier is a kayak launch.

The manatees were much more subdued than they had been earlier.  And fewer.  I left the Cove, sky getting darker.

Close ups of the "Kayak Launch"  Like people are going to put in on sharp rocks.  Maybe the pile of dirt is there to cover them.   And get pushed into the water, making it dirty.  Who comes up with this stuff?  Obviously, not kayakers.  The setting is good, right on "Dolphin Cove", but the execution is lacking.  No dolphins in the cove, I paddled through the alternate channel.  Blurry pic of a green heron.

With no vehicles to assemble, will NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building be turned into condos?

 That's what I call a low ceiling.

 I saw two kayakers in Bair's Cove as I drove in, that is not them, above.  Once I was on the water,  no kayaks, less than 5 boats, maybe 8-10 folks fishing from the banks.

 I lingered at the Canal entrance, hoping to see another dolphin.  The surface was calm, perhaps another visit to Mullet Head Island?   A flash of lightning and crack of thunder said no.  I landed at 6:20.

Got the yak secured just before the rain came.  Hard.  Not raining when I stopped at Publix in Titusville.  Raining when I left, again hard..   A car spun out on I-95.   Nasty downpour until I was west of Christmas.  But, without rain, no paddling.