Canaveral Seashore - Eddy Creek

Dolphin

Today found a way to be able to have a short paddle trip and then spent time with the family.  Did kayak the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, at  Canaveral Seashore, a place called Eddy Creek, to be exact. It was my first time there and did not know what to expect so when three dolphins swam no too far from where I was, it was a welcome sighting.

Tri-Colored Heron

Put In/ Take Out: The following link, Canaveral National Seashore, will take you to a map of the park. Eddy Creek is locates at the west side of the road to Playalinda, after parking area #7, if my memory does not fail me now. Anyways there is a sign so you cannot miss it.  It is really a sandy boat ramp but it is very easy to put in your kayak or canoe. The fee to the park is $5 per vehicle.

Royal Tern and Laughing Gulls

I started my paddling at 11:30AM, after leaving my family at Playalinda. Did not plan to be in the water for more than 4 hours regardless. But did not have an idea where to go. Looking at a map saw some small islands west of the put in so that is what I had in mind and that is what was done first. I had no clue why this is called a creek. A recent reading clarified the point for me. It seems like the mangroves and the islands around it are part of an old inlet that connected the Mosquito Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean. Check this link for the whole story: Canoeing Eddy Creek.

Great Egrets flying

Ibis

Did not do something spectacular. If you follow the map in the link previously provided, kayaked out of Eddy Creek to the first small island  west of it. It was in that canal where saw the dolphins, three of them to be exact. It seems that canal is the only area deep enough for the dolphins to swim by. Did not find any area deeper than that one. Most of the route I took was in shallow waters, between a lot of sea grass and jumpy fishes. As the dolphins left heading north noticed something in the water. It was a gator swimming south but the reptile did not give me a good pic chance. Made me think about getting a YDT, Yak Dave Trifecta: Gator, dolphin, and manatee in the same trip. The YDT did not happen but had another chance to obtain a pic of a gator, which I eventually got. In case you are new to kayaking or maybe you are coming from Mars, here is a link to Dave's Yak Tales and another one to Green Wave Forum. Both sites are my main sources of information for kayak trips.

Osprey

There were moments I wished was paddling the Haulover Canal area. It has more variety of wildlife. Out of Eddy Creek, this section of the Mosquito Lagoon, this is where you are really paddling, had plenty of Ospreys, Tri-Colored Herons, Little Blue Herons, Brown Pelicans, and Cormorants rule. Nothing similar to Mullet Head Island. Maybe another trip is in order to explore the area north of the put in. For this one kept going west until reached the other bank of the Mosquito Lagoon, which is close to the Bio Lab Road if you check the map. There I rested for a few minutes while taking pics of a Black Necked Stilt and their chicks. Have seen these birds before but never had a chance to see or take pics of the chicks.

Black Necked Stilts'chicks

After the break in the west side of the Mosquito Lagoon paddled back to the put in. A strong breeze made this paddle miserable but at least it was not too bumpy. Made it back to the put in area at 3PM. Other than a couple of motor boats and some people fishing from the banks saw one more kayaker in 3 hours and 30 minutes. Here are more pics of what I saw today...

Killdeer

Killdeer

Tri-Colored Heron

Osprey

Little Blue Heron

Launch Pads at Kennedy Space Center

Dolphin

Dolphin

Space Shuttle Assembly Building

Cormorants

Cormorant flying away from a Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey

Cormorant

Brown Pelican

Great Egret got lunch

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt

Black Necked Stilt chicks

Black Necked Stilt chick

Spotted Sandpiper

Black Necked Stilt

Great Blue Heron

Sea Gulls

Laughing Gull

Great Blue Heron caught a fish for lunch

Gator

Green Heron

Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

And that is all folks. Thanks for reading and hope you come back next week, when we will be sharing more Views From Our Kayak.

Mosquito Lagoon