The pics on the web indicate it was a soft shell turtle…our turtle expert will be in on Monday….
2 Manatees came into the canal while our paddling guest headed north towards Bings Landing. With so much rain, no one seemed to be on the water today, ominous clouds and threat of storms kept most people away from water activities today. Actually, great breeze blowing cooling things off. Not to bad at all out here.
Rescued a turtle yesterday(alligator turtle) haven’t looked him up yet, though the biggest turtle I have seen on land ever-maybe 24 lbs or so. He is happily situated in our local retention pond with plenty of fish and grass for company.
Beautiful, flat calm waters with plant debris everywhere from the heavy rains yesterday afternoon. We had over 5 inches of standing water across the street, but today everything is squeky clean. Frog haven! Dragonflies diving along the waterways now as I type…actually grateful they have such a hearty appetite eating mosquitos!
A group of my friends took out some of the kayaks at 8am this morning to explore…waiting for feedback if the went to St. joe’s or north instead. Fresh water plantings from the canals floating by. Not much activity on the water, bird, mamal or boats….well, off to walk the docks.
Dolphins were fairly active today outside the basin, low tide in the AM , waiting for the feeder fish to come in to tease the Dolphins…2 manatees yesterday in the basin again. Nothing too dramatic today , a few shore birds about, light breeze and more chance of thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Tides have been extremely low, making shorelines fun to collect shells and rocks weathered by current . Estuaries and creeks very low exposing oyster mounds more than usual, but most still navigatable.
No problem at St. Joe’s -trees removed from teh mainstream thanks to the cities efforts to keep the area tidy for free flowing water….had a 1000 lb. manatee stuck in St. Joe’s last fall….we were on a eco tour, and a tree was down….we needed to trim back a few branches, several of us stepped on top of the tree to sink her a bit, and wait for a higher tide….she floated by no problem…..
Beginnings of the quieter time of year with kids going back to school, less boat traffic due to the economy …migration of vesels will start soon heading south to the keys and islands…..and of course hurricane probability upon us as well….
Chatter on marine radio seems to be a bit busier….towboats have been busy as well….
Great morning in the canals and on teh ICW. Saturdays are usually quiet until noon, then the boaters pop up, but with the economy, not as populated as in the past. Kayakers seem to be more evident, more experienced and have a ton of fun learning to paddle. Our fishing kayakers have been busy, but not very successful due to low salinity.
Its a great weekend on the water, flat waters and slight breeze, a bit hazy.
Kayaklady ( tropicalkayaks@bellsouth.net / http://kayakcafe ) (IP: 70.152.6.173 ) Mornings have been very refreshing paddling about before the afternoon clouds and storms roll in. Mosquitos have not yet been evident from all the rains yet, but just in case, remember to bring repellent for evening paddling. Keep an eye on weather, and radar for afternoon showers when predicted. Waters are murky due to tannin from all the rain stirring up the bottoms. Manatees and dolphins are still playful locally as always, not caring how the water looks as long as there is food! Our birds are still working the waters nearby for fish. We noticed less squirrels here at the Palm Coast Marina, as we have seen Osprey and Red Shoulder Hawks pick them off and carry them away…..we had dozens always around the paths….. Please be careful of critters with all the fresh water entering the salt water estuaries and waterways…inland waterways are having a few turtle & snake sightings reported. Use caution when weeding gardens and brush. For those portaging their kayaks, ues your paddle or a walking stick to poke ahead to alert sleeping reptiles….they are seeking drier ground from flood zones and might be about. Please pick up trash when possible on the waterways….every bit counts to keep our natural habitats clean and pristine! Enjoy the Paddle! M
Spent most of the day on the water launching kayakers…nice breeze, cloud cover and mostly brids with two baby alligators spotted by the golf course in Manatee Cove. I assume the eagles and ospreys will be snacking on them soon enough to keep the balance. Tiny little guys….
A few people have noticed the waters being a bit more cloudy, and tea like in color. So much rain stirring up the bottom, with decomposing leaves causing tannin, storm water run off etc .. make the discoloration more evident. Salinity has been very low, shrimp and fish are not very content these days. Manatees and dolphins don’t seem to mind, but not much activity except jumping mullets, Jacks, garr and tons of crabs around the marina. Turtles have been more active this year than ever inside the marina basin and ICW(intracoastal waterway) .
Our favorite visitor last month in the marina basin has been a very,very young dolphin learning to use his/her sonar and play frisbee with the mullets. I have never seen such drama or entertainment from one creature having so much fun playing with a wiggly ,sqirmy fish while yet being gentle and exact in its game. Mother dolphin kept close, without interference, as if on guard for possible misadventure. I spent 2 hours filming this wonderful event, watching as if the baby was on stage performing gleefully(with audiance) maneuvering back and forth withing inches of my kayak. Back and forth, exact same pattern diving, rolling and snaring a small mullet. He would throw the fish high in the air ahead of him(as if in training as a retriever would practice catching a ball or frisbee)-dash like a bullet and retrieve the poor fish…only to do the same over and over again. Frequently, Miss Dolphin would take a break , change course and begin to throw this pitiful fish skimming across the surface only to once again catch and play . Unbelieveable mastery and perfection in his timing and performance. I was child like (as always when near dolphin), laughing, calling out and splashing trying to get its attention to no avail….except I really felt the show was just for me, though I know better, it was a repeat performance all week for any one to watch. I think the marina basin offered a great training ground for the wee one, free from distraction and boat traffic offerring a safe haven to play and learn hunting tactics . Mom dolphin always was near by but never in the youngsters space…. as if watching from the bleaches….she was quite trusting of me and never displayed defensive moves to keep her young away from me….literally I was the prey of sneak attacks from behind several times as I lost sight of the baby, until I heard the air blow or water ripple past or under me. They indeed have a sense of humor and love the art of surprise.
I never did see the fish toy devoured, only tossed around and most likely freightened to death. It was great to have such a circus act right in front -around-behind-aside me, as I tried to perch my hand on the paddle, the other hand on the camera to shoot the film…..I could not believe my eyes. This treat went on for a few days almost like clock work…sadly to say, I had bough a Flip camera just for the dolphin show, spent the last 2 hours taking film…and never had it turned on….but with so many dockside witnessess…..this was not a fish tale….but a true dolphin encounter of the kayak kind. They will be back, they always are!
Enjoy the Paddle!