Fort De Soto and Boca Ciega Bay

 View from the balcony at 7:11

Better if you zoom out the hotel parking lot.

Fort De Soto Park is 14 miles south.  I was on the water at 8.

The zoom is working!

 

 

 

 

Into Mullet Key Bayou from Soldiers Hole

 

 

 I saw several  dolphins.  First a pair, then a pod of five.  It was windy, so more difficult than usual, which is not easy, to get a photo.

I managed one.

 

Had to take a picture of this boat.  Not because I like jerky.

 

Lagoon behind the beach

Five legged waders

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving the lagoon

 Early enough that boat traffic was not too heavy.  Safe to make the crossing to Shell Key

Saw a sea turtle on the way Big sea turtle. Surfaced just off the bow. Saw the big shape in the water, thought, "manatee". It came up for air, "that's an odd looking manatee head, oh!". 

No photo.

 

Paddled on the inner side of Shell Key.  Too rough on the Gulf for me.  Lots of birds at the key across from Shell, in the shallows.

 

 

Great egrets, snowy egrets, reddish egrets, tri colored herons, ibis.  All fed under the mangroves.

 

 

 

Young black crowned night heron

 

A red shouldered hawk flying in did not faze the flock.  All these waders, surely I would see a spoonbill.  I did not.

 

This one was at a different island.

 

Whelk. I think.  Empty.

 I walked to get a better view of the spoonbill.  And now, the seagrass.

 

 Jelly fish

 

 The steps are a new addition at the Gaggioli Family Picnic Area.  You may know it as Arrowhead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moon over mangroves

 A manatee surface in front of me a couple of times as I neared Soldiers Hole.  As with the sea turtle, I was unable to get a photo.

 In Soldiers Hole, the manatee, or perhaps another, swam along side.  All I saw was the telltale double circle wake.

 

 

 

 Landed at 12:10. Decided it was too hot for a bike ride. High, reached at 1:30, was 92.

Headed back to the hotel to eat a sandwich and cool down.

 

The Marina part of the Hotel and Marina

 Jelly fish

 

 

View of the Gulf from inside my room

 

 I asked the guy at the front desk if there was anyplace nearby where I could launch the kayak.  Other than the beach. He said there was a ramp on 123rd St.   I found it.  Limited on street parking. Unless you have a trailer. Room for 4 vehicles with trailers in a gravel pull over on the side of the street.

 

On the water at 3:15

 

 

Sand bar, bar.

 

 

 

I found the good stuff

Short tunnel through an island. Eleanor or Elnor, maps have different names.

 

 Paddled across Johns Pass to another island

 This one, a bird sanctuary

 

 

 

 

Back to the first island.  Also a Preserve. Did not see the sign the first time as I cut through half way around

 

 

 

 

 A few sprinkles fell

 

 Johns Pass Boardwalk

 

 The guys at Wild Seafood agreed that a fish boat is better than a food truck

 

 The big boat is for sale

Not sure if the great blue heron is included.

 The boardwalk is on the Maderia Beach side of the pass.  The Marina, Treasure Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Back in the residential area,  a small patch of mangroves was home to a snowy egret, black crowned night heron, and yellow crowned night heron.  At least that is all I saw.

 

 

Landed at 5:27

 A look back towards the water from my parking spot.  The first one past a No Parking Beyond This Point sign.  Across the street, a store bought No Parking Sign.  Wondered about the legality of that.  At the start of the street, official, "Local Traffic Only' signs.  I came from a side street.

A microwave dinner and it was time for the sunset.  View from the balcony at 7:25

Kites

 Broad beach

 

 

 Missed the classic sail boat in the sun shot

 

 

 

 

 

 Assorted shore birds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My hotel

 

 

 Back at the hotel

Second floor deck

 

As usual, I had a good day.