Mosquito Lagoon

I visited the Canaveral National Seashore, Sunday, February 8, 2009 and paddled the Mosquito Lagoon. It was not a great day for wildlife until I saw more dolphins then I have ever seen in one spot. I'll get to that in a bit.




I launched from the usual spot, the designated canoe/kayak launch area. Lately, people have been fishing from the shore, including three ladies who arrived just after me. We gave each other plenty of room. Unlike these jerks, blocking the landing area when I was done for the day.







I did not apologize when I ran into their lines. Lazy s#&ts can't move their setup away from the landing ? Or fish from the available piers ? Some people just suck.








Ok, my tirade is over. I was in the water at 9:45. It was low tide, and quite low. Yesterday, when I took the picture of the full moon over Alexander Creek, I thought to myself, "Don't kayak tomorrow with tidal influence." I've paddled enough to learn that full moon = extreme tides. Well, my own advice went in one ear and out the other, and here I was at Mosquito Lagoon, which is affected by the tide. Lots of exposed oyster beds. I got stuck, poleing did not work, I had to get out and walk for a before finding enough water to float the yak with me inside. I headed north, past Turtle Mound, across the Lagoon to Shipyard Island and the marked trail through the Island. I looked forward to paddling here, as I would be out of the north wind. On the way, a bald eagle flew overhead. Arriving at the entrance to the Shipyard trail, I had to push my way in, due to low water I paddled a bit, poled some, walked more, realizing it was not the right time to paddle Shipyard. So I turned around, following the trail left by the bottom of the yak back into the Lagoon.









The only bird photo I was able to get in 90 minutes was this belted kingfisher. Headed back, stopping at Turtle Mound. Captured this beauty on the way to the top.




















Back to the water, got a few bird photos. Osprey. You can see the oyster beds mentioned earlier.











Great egret.















Ducks.

















More ducks, and seagulls.

The ducks were just before I passed my starting point. I did not plan on going much farther, as I would have to turn back into the wind. I hoped to see a dolphin, the water is too cool for manatees. I saw something in the distance. Dolphin ? My pace picked up. A wake ahead, definitely a dolphin. Paddled faster, saw another dolphin. And another, and another.

Soon, I was in a pod of a least ten dolphins. I have never seen so many tails raised high as they searched the bottom for lunch.

Dorsal fins carving through the water.

We, the dolphins and I, were off Eldora State House. A channel leads to the east side of the Lagoon, along the south tip of Orange Island. Water flows from three points of the compass, so it makes a happy dolphin hunting ground.

I spent an hour taking pictures. A fantastic experience, dolphins surfacing all around me. They made my return to the landing site easier, as we circled an island an I ended up with the wind at my back.

What began as a so-so paddle, ended as "The Day of the Dolphins"

Finished the visit to the Seashore with a walk on the half mile Eldora Hammock Trail.

Alexander Creek and Spring

I went to bed Friday trying to decide where to kayak after work today, Saturday, February 7, 2009. I was leaning to Alexander Creek. Seeing somebody had left a compliment on a previous Alexander Tale, http://davesyaktales.blogspot.com/2007/12/alexander-spring-gator-taletail.html I headed to the Ocala National Forest.




Launched from the Lake County Highway 445 Bridge at 2:30. Made the short paddle up Alexander Creek, about half of it chatting with a gentleman visiting from St Louis. Did not catch his name. We saw an otter family. Three other paddlers on Alexander Creek.

One good sized gator, no photo. The weather is finally getting back to where it should be, swimsuit and t-shirt were fine. Few people at the Alexander Springs Recreation Area, even less in the water. A few kids and their dad, three or four scuba divers. And I.

I snorkeled for 25 minutes. When I got out, at 4 pm, it was getting cool. So, a quick walk on the Timucan Trail, and back in the yak.

Downstream views.

I don't think its much more than a mile from the Spring to the Bridge, but that mile is packed with wildlife. I've seen a bear here. No motors are allowed upstream of the Bridge. I saw just one other kayak on the downstream trip, and that paddler was landing as I was approaching this bald eagle.

I took a dozen pictures. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, there are 115 bald eagle nests in Lake County, home of Alexander Creek. A post on the Green Wave Forum, gave me a heads up for this site http://www.myfwc.com/eagle/eaglenests/nestlocator.aspx

I went past the Bridge a few minutes, than turned around, and landed. I wanted to get the yak on the car before it got dark and cool. It would have been a good evening for a paddle if I was dressed for it, full moon rising. But, I had a good three hours on and in the waters of Alexander Creek and Spring.

Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run

Tuesday, February 3, 2009. No photos. I grabbed the wrong camera, the one that joined me in Juniper Creek several months ago. I was in the water about 2:20, paddled down the Wekiva a bit past the Indian/party mound, up the Wekiva, up Rock Springs Run just short of the three mile mark, returning to Wekiwa Springs State Park about 5:45.

Four canoes and kayaks on the way down the Wekiva, that was it. Cool, high fifties, low sixties. No deer for the first time since October 15. One alligator, one otter, several raccoons, green, blue, tri colored, great blue herons, great and snowy egrets, belted kingfishers, anhinga, limpkin, ibis, turkeys, turtles.

At the Wekiva Marina, the building that housed Alexander's Restaurant is being repaired. What,a dozen years after the fire they got the insurance check ? I wonder what is going in the building. A new restaurant ? My Spanish isn't good enough to ask the workers.

Blue Spring Snake Creek Loop

I discovered a new bird today, Sunday, February 1st, 2009. A manatee egret. Similar to a cattle egret, only it rides the back of a sea cow instead of a land cow. Others may call it a snowy egret. Just one of a wide variety of critters seen on this trip from Blue Spring State Park, up the St Johns a short way to Snake Creek, up Snake, down the Hontoon Dead River to the first canal, back to the St. Johns, topped off with a loop around the island across from the French Avenue launch area.

I launched from what I call the "traditional" area, the spot that had been always full of rental canoes until Tropical Storm Fay's high waters moved the canoes about 100 yards up the St Johns. The River has been back to normal for months, but the rental are still in the new spot. The traditional area is nice for two reasons. (1) It's closer to the parking lot. (2) It's closer to the manatees in Blue Spring Run. I figured the Park would keep the launch at the new location because of the manatees. But there are no signs saying you can't launch or land at the traditional location. So, for the second time since the launch beach reappeared, I launched there. It may be the last.

As I was getting ready two other kaykers arrived, dragging their craft down the steps, bam ! bam ! bam ! They went out, then I. Somewhere from the shore a voice rang out. "Hey you guys, you can't launch from there" Must have been talking to the other two.

With that, I did not linger in the area between the buoys, paddling over the outer, "No Motorized Vessels" line. I watched manatees for a while, a lot in the Run, then paddled to Snake Creek. On the way, a large shape in the woods, closer investigation showed several large shapes.

Turkeys in full regalia. Five or so. A sixth flew across the River to join them. Flying turkeys aren't the most graceful birds. It's a sight to see one in the air. The next thing to catch my eye was the eye of this anhinga.

Hazel, like mine. Into Snake Creek, time to reflect.

Lots of birds in Snake Creek. Wood stork and great egret.

A better look at the egret.

Second gator of the day.

A great picture, Not the alligator, this one.

Final Snake Creek reflection.

Hontoon Dead River turtle.

Tri colored heron

Posed once, than said "see ya"

Back to the St Johns River.

Limpkin, great blue, green heron.

I got back to Blue Spring just past noon. Not as many manatees in the Run, they must have gone out to feed as the day warmed. Warmer than yesterday on Rock Springs Run, I had one one less layer, I'd guess 65-69. Knowing a prime feeding stop is the island a bit down River, I headed that way. Didn't see any manatees. Saw these redheads.

It takes a lot of grooming to get the ruffled chest look.

I did see a gator, and back in the St Johns, this cormorant trio.

I paddled back towards Blue Spring. At the point where the St Johns splits at the island, several manatees swam up River in the main channel, one veered off on the island side, where I had just entered as I made my circle. I followed the one heading to the less traveled side.

It led me to a manatee feeding area. On the mainland side. On my first trip around the island, I was distracted by the sand hill cranes on the island side. Several manatees, maybe 8. Alligators too, about 6.

All this wildlife in an area about 50 yards long and thirty yards wide. Not to mention birds.

Woodstork, anhinga, and great blue heron. More turkeys in the woods. And, the legendary manatee egret.

Again, I paddled back to Blue Spring Run. The St Johns was full of manatees. I hung outside the outer buoy lime, hoping one might come in for a close up. A few came close, but like the Cardinals, not close enough.