Homosassa and Halls Rivers

I went to bed Friday evening, mind not made up about where to take the kayak, Saturday. I was thinking Rock Springs Run, or  the Wekiva River from Katie's Landing to Blackwater Creek, or the Chasshowitzka, or the Rainbow River.  Its nice to have options.  When I woke, sometime before 6 am, I thought, I'm up early enough, to beat the crowds,  the weather is cool enough, 50's at night, to paddle the Homosassa River and snorkel, maybe seeing a manatee or two.  So off I went to Citrus County.  Launched from the concrete ramp at the end the road in Homosassa, next to McRae's.  In the River just past 8, paddling up River past monkey island.

The monkeys, four, are across from the Riverside Resort.   These monkeys have not learned to swim.

 Anhinga

 Cormorants

 Young bald eagle on a dock.

It flew to a more conventional perch.  Not a bad start to the day, but I wanted to see and adult bald eagle.

Mom and Dad?

I heard a manatee exhale behind me as I was taking eagle photos, but did not see any. Yet.

That's a nest on the great blue's right.

Smart parent. Building a nest in a no hunting area.

First manatee photo.  The Homosassa is spring fed, and as the temperatures fall, they congregate near fresh water springs, with their steady 72 degree water.

Homosassa  Spring is behind this pedestrian bridge.  I would see the Spring for the first time, later in the day. It cannot be accessed by kayak.  Unless you know someone at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

I began this Tale stating.  "I'm up early enough, to beat the crowds". I was. Just one manatee tout boat in the area when I got out of the kayak.

Always sad to see scars.  Slow down!

This time of year, there are manatee sanctuaries on both sides of the River.  All the manatees I saw were on the south side of the Homosassa.  I swam to the other side, the bridge side, and did not see any.

I was in the water at least 24 minutes. Time stamp from first underwater pic to the last.  I toweled off as best I could, got back in the yak, and made my way down stream.

In addition to wood ducks and mallards, a manatee mom and her calf were in a cove on the north side of the River.  No family photos.

Boat traffic was light, and this time of year, all the River upstream from McRae's is either slow, or idle speed. The area nearest the Spring is a year round idle speed zone.  Manatees, the kayaker's best friend.

 Hey, wake up!

The Halls River enters the Homosassa River from the north. Also spring feed, it is less developed than the Homosassa.

This next set of birds was across from the Last Resort, an RV campground on the Halls River.

 First hooded merganser(female) I've seen this season.

 Another eagle? Or one of the earlier pair?

I see signs like these and think. "what artifacts? and, "won't this just attract treasure hunters"  I did a search, nothing so far, but a very interesting, 9 year old article on a proposed condo on the Halls River. tampabay.com

Is was not built. 

Just one boat on the Halls River.  Two guys, in camo, in a motorized canal.  Duck hunters?

The beginning of the Halls River is full of canals.  And this trip, anglers on the bank.  I'm not exactly sure where the main spring is. There are two springs.  This could be one.

I reached it at noon. The water in the canal downstream is certainly spring like.

 Red maple.  Lets see it in "Supervivid"

There you go

 I've been successful in getting belted kingfisher photos, lately.  Too much to ask for it to stay on the sign so I could get a front view of the "Bird Sanctuary"

Not sure which I am prouder of.  Close up kingfisher.

 Bald eagle in flight.

A "chalet" at the Nature's Resort, on the Halls River.  They go for $120 a night.

 Back to the Homosassa.

Hitchhiker

One eagle on the tree that held two in the morning.  Perhaps the eagle(s) I saw on the Halls was the other.

As I paddled down River, two bald eagles separated from a flock of hovering vultures and flew into the  trees.  If they landed, it was not where I could see them.  The original pair, reunited?

Landed at 2:40. Put the yak on the car, then went to "The Shed", the waterfront bar at MacRae's.  Figured I should have a beer and a bite to eat as I was in their parking lot.  But, no server came after a few minutes, so I left.  And went to Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park.

My first visit, other than in the water, just outside the Park.  There are two entrances. One on busy Highway 19.   Dosen't seem very park like, I thought.  You then board a trailer, and get the Fishbowl Drive entrance.  The ride is much more "park-like" .  There are also boats that make the same trip via "Pepper Creek" Looks like a canal to me.  Those stop at 3:30.

The Wildlife Park is a zoo for Florida animals.  And a hippo.  The story is, when the State took over the attraction in 1989, all the exotic animals had to go.  But the public demanded that Lulu, a feature at the park since 1964, stay.  So, Governor Lawton Chiles named the hippo and honorary citizen, and it remains to this day.

 Key deer

 Manatee in rehabilitation pool

Bridge over the Homosassa River.  There's a photo from my kayak, my usual view until today, early in this Tale.  I had thought the Spring was just behind it.  It is not.

You have to walk a bit farther, to the Underwater Observatory.

Entrance to the Park is $13.  Free for me with my annual State Parks Pass.  I was thinking its not worth 13 bucks.  But, I'm cheap, and more to the point, I swim and snorkel in springs all the time.  If you can't do that, Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park is a must see.

Go on a cold day, and you may see a wild manatee through the glass.   I saw snook, black drum, sheepshead, ladyfish, and snapper.  A guy next to me said, "All those fish, and me without a pole!"   On a day like today, warm, only the injured manatees have access to the area behind the bridge.  During the cold snap of December 2010, the gate at the bridge was opened for the first time since it was built, giving wild manatees a warm water sanctuary. 

 In the morning, I anchored the yak to the right of the bridge when I snorkeled.

Looking down the Homosassa.  The buoys mark the manatee sanctuary.

 Snook

 The injured manatees are well fed.

A boardwalk goes past the animal enclosures.  Wild, wildlife, like the wood duck, ibis and blue heron, mixes in with the captive animals.

The spoonbills are caged, but not the flamingos and pelicans.

 Crested caracara

No top above the raptors. I asked a Park worker about that.  The birds are injured, and can't fly.

My cap is not part of the whooping crane exhibit, but I felt it belonged.

 Had to use supervivid on the flamingos.  Normal setting below.

 Kestrel, also in supervivid.

 I don't think I've seen as kestrel in the wild.  I know I haven't seen a panther, or flamingos.  Everything else in the Park, I've seen while, or on the way to or from, kayaking.

 Hippos don't count. That's it above, not a manatee.

Underwater observatory, aka "The Fishbowl"

Back on the tram to the main entrance, 5:10 PM