Dave's Yak Tales: Blue Spring, Snake Creek Loop

My break spot on Snake Creek.
I should have known that the annual Manatee Festival was at Blue Spring State Park this weekend. I had read about it, and kayaked the Snake Creek Loop this weekend last year. During the Festival. But, I was oblivious until I was passing Valentine Park, a mile or so before Blue Spring State Park. Tents,canopies and buses. To shuttle people to the State Park. The State Park was not to busy when I arrived, but my preferred parking spot had an orange cone. I think to use as an additional handicapped space.
I launched at 9:45.

Sometimes, there are bald eagles, along with ever present vultures, across from the launch site. This morning, a red shouldered hawk,

Star of the Festival. Not the best weather for a Manatee Festival. Too warm. 70's. Just a couple manatees observed from the edge of Blue Spring Run. Can't enter this time of year. To protect the manatees.
I headed down the St Johns to the island across from the French Ave launch site.

An eagle was on the opposite side of the St. Johns from where they usually are. Not even to French Ave. I paddled across the River, behind the island. The upstream side is almost blocked. Unless you are paddling.

There may be more sand hill cranes here in time. Smaller ones

I did a loop on the waters on the inner side of the island. Chatted with folks in a houseboat. A rental. They asked how far it was to Blue Spring. "Must be your first time on the River" I told them it took my fifteen minutes. Slowly paddling and taking pictures of manatees and bald eagles.

I reentered the main channel, and paddled back the way I came

Entering Snake Creek. Speaking of snakes,earlier I overheard one canoer telling another that his wife saw a 14 foot boa constrictor in Snake Creek, Saturday. Yikes.

Well groomed wood stork

Turtle or blue heron? Puts a smile on the gator.

Saw one canoe on Snake Creek

Landed, and had a sandwich at noon. View in the first photo of the Tale

Entering the Hontoon Dead River. Where 4 out of 5 boaters speed.

The above photo has one of the speeding boaters. They did slow when passing me. But, as they speed on, I heard, and saw, a tremendous splash on the edge of the lily pads. In the area where the northernmost canal enters the Hontoon Dead River. A place where I have seen manatees. I did not see, or hear one, today. It likely swam away after being disturbed

At the canal entrance, a man and his son fished. And netted a "Giant eel!" Looked about 2 and a half feet curled in the net

In the canal

There were several places I had to push through the plants, one downed tree to duck under

A fine day for great egrets. Saw two alligators, both into the water before I got a photo. One was huge. A sapling, about the width of my arm, was in front of it. That sucker bent like a twig as the alligator came off the bank.

Back to the St. Johns

I found out there is something worse than a speeding air boat. An air boat moving at idle speed. The engine drones on and on. Finally, they went down River. I went to explore the island across from French Ave. The air boat turned around. NOOOOO!!! And went where I planned on going. I waited them out. They were not going slow as law abiding boaters in a manatee zone. They were fishing with bow and arrow. When they finally left, they gunned the engine, in the Slow Speed zone. Air boaters, disturbing a lovely afternoon for everyone else.

A different type of paddle craft

I went back to Blue Spring Run, to see if any manatees would come out.

I landed at 3:20 to a jam packed Park. Cars parked, with permission, on the grass between the asphalt parking lanes. Plus the bus loads from Valentine Park. I had my bike, but instead of riding on the Park road to the paved path, a road I figured would be full of cars, I went for a hike.