Bunche Beach Preserve

If you follow these Tales, you know that one week a month I work Saturday morning.  That week I work a half day during the week.  I also work until 9 PM, one night a week.  Usually Wednesday.  I kinda sorta combined the half day and late night by scheduling myself to work from 5 PM to 9PM on Monday, June 17. A short 3 day weekend.

 After breakfast and check out at  La Quinta, I was on the water at 10:23.  In the water just before that. The carpet cover ramp at Bunche Beach Preserve drops off quickly.  I tried to get in with the kayak parallel to the ramp.  My outside leg was not reaching bottom.  My inside foot, on the ramp slid on the slick ramp, and I fell.  It was difficult to climb up the underwater part of the ramp.  Very, very slick.  I got up, got back in yak, now on the ramp, perpendicular, and pushed off.  I try to avoid dragging the stern, as it has been patched, twice.  Funny thing, just before I launched, a paddle board tour guide told her group. "I am going to take a picture now, while you re all dry"

 Black crowned night heron

A short paddle to open water. The opening photo.  I am not sure how I missed this opening the 2 times I launched from the beach. Maybe it was behind sandbars.  The launch in the mangroves may not be accessible at low tide.  High tide was two hours earlier.

 Sanibel Island

 Reddish egret

Causeway in the distance

Terns and black skimmers

Paddling along, I was thinking I had not seen any dolphins or roseate spoonbills. Then, a dorsal fin, and another.  Tail slapping the water.  Hmm that tail looks different.   And those are light colored dolphins.  That are not coming up for air.  Sharks!  I was in a school of at least 6 feeding sharks. The most, and largest, 4 feet or so, that I have ever seen from the kayak

Two in this photo, one more visible than the other. I was not worried.  The wading couple with an infant were a better target

Fort Myers Beach

Back into the mangroves.  Where I got a fisherman's lure off a branch.  I told him I did not think mangroves were in season.

My slow reflexes and slow camera could not even catch the third of three spoonbills that flew over the mangroves on the right.  I head back to the pass to see if they landed.

Did not see any roseate spoonbills

Landed at 12:06.  Landed on the rocks to the left of the slippery ramp.

 I think I saw all of the above birds.

View from outside the restroom.  Waterless, so no shower.  Bunche Preserve is 1.5 miles from LaQuinta.  I stopped, used the pool shower, swam a lap in the pool, showered again, changed, back to the car for underwear, changed again, made it to work on time. 

I think I'll do this three day weekend thing with taking a day off in July and August. Maybe September, extend Labor Day weekend.