Haulover Canal

I Wanna Hug Your Yak ( imagine The Beatles ' song I wanna hold your hand)

It was a heck of a day at Haulover Canal. Took me three times to finish this post but finished it. A better than classic day at the Haulover Canal, where paddled the Yak Dave Tour. That means paddling around Mullet Head Island, back to the canal area through Dolphin Cove (alternate channel South of the main which has no motor boat traffic), and then to Bair's Cove, After that did paddle to the East end of the canal, the Mosquito Lagoon and had a wonderful experience watching a 10+ dolphin pod. A Yak Dave Trifecta did not hurt at all. Keep reading. The pics outnumber my silly narrative.

Reddish Egret White Morph

Put in / Take Out: End of the dirt road North of the draw bridge over Haulover Canal. The bridge is closed until July 3rd. That means that you have to come from the North to use this facility. If you come from the South will have to use Bair's Cove, which has a fee I cannot remember now.

Tri-Colored Heron and Chick

Anyways...Did I say it was a heck of a day already? Yes it was. Started paddling West in the Indian River to Mullet Head Island, a bird sanctuary. Circled the island counterclockwise, meaning that started from the South East. The place is overflowing with so many birds. Many chicks are out.

Headed to Mullet Head Island

Mullet Head Island scene

Black Crowned Night Heron

Great Blue Heron and Black Crowned Night Heron

Roseate Spoonbill (Spoonie)

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Reddish Egret

Ibis chicks

Brown Pelican with nesting material

Juvenile Tri-Colored Heron

Tri-Colored Heron and chick begging for food

Tri-Colored Heron and chick

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret chick

Brown Pelican's nest

Cormorants

Two for one - Great Blue Heron and Ibis

White Pelicans

Wood Storks

Two for One - Spoonie and Wood Stork

Three for One - Brown Pelican, Reddish Egret and Wood Stork

Brown Pelican

Cormorants

Brown Pelican

Feathers display - Great Blue Heron

Black Necked Stilt

Great Egret chick

Great Egret

Cormorant

Great Blue Heron taking care of business

Rare Two for One - Reddish Egret and Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Spoonie

Snowy Egret

Cattle Egret

Reddish Egret White Morph

Juvenile Ibis

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Back to the canal area tried to get a pic of a dolphin hunting at the entrance of the Dolphin Cove. Did not work well so kept going to Bair's Cove. Manatees were bbusy preserving the specie. When those guys do that you stay way away from them because it can be a wet proposition for you. I did just that and stay put waiting for a manatee to give a pic chance. One of them did...

Manatee

Hello Dude!!!!!

The manatee seemed to like my new Perception Sport Conduit

Manatte

Quite frankly...I do not know what is going on here. Can you make any sense of it?

A tour group came to the cove and I paddled out of their way. Placed my yak in the shade to take a break from the Sun. A manatee, maybe the same one who hugged my yak, started to do the same with one of them. It was cool to see their reaction. Kudos to the girl leading them. She instructed their group not to touch the manatees and the whole group complied. Talking about tour and that stuff, check this link Orlando Kayaking for your next kayaking trip here in Central Florida. Click on the link or check a link we placed in My Favorite Links Section. They seem to have many different options.

Another hugger

Tour group

Manatee tail

After a manatee gave me a ride at Bair's Cove decided to leave. The big marine cow came under my yak and rocked me pretty good. I was not going to wait for it to come back so left the cove and headed to the Mosquito Lagoon, the East end of Haulover Canal. The bridge is under repairs and the boat traffic is huge. Have to say that sadly most of them did not obey the No Wake rule. But am not going to waste my time ranting about that now. At the Mosquito Lagoon 4 dolphins were hunting and/or bugging the fishermen in the area. Then 3 more came from the North, and after that a pod of five joined them. Twelve dolphins at the same area area at the same time. It was awesome!!! I tried to get a face shot and ended up with gazillion fin's pics. My wife is the expert and she was not with me. It showed. Anyways...here are the pics I was able to get...

Dolphin at the Mosquito Lagoon, East End of Haulover Canal

Closest I got from a dolphin face shot. I will take this one OK

Mosquito Lagoon dolphin

Need a bigger boat?????

East end of Haulover Canal

Then saw a fin that I have seen before, but not in this area but in Canaveral Seashore way North of here. It is Finny, the dolphin with the split fin...

Finny, an old friend!!!!!!

A dolphin with a young one

The clouds, looking to the West, were looking gray and ugly. Decided it was time to end the paddle so back to the canal I went. A dolphin duo left the pod I was observing and swam into the canal as well...

Haulover Canal Dolphin

This one was just pure luck. Was trying to get a pic of the bow of the yak with the bridge. A dolphin happened to emerge at the time.

Haulover Canal Dolphin...and a tip

Classic Dolphin Fin

Dolphin at the canal

I was close to the bridge, shooting pics of the dolphins, when heard a familiar sound. Did hear that recently during a walk at the Orlando Wetlands Park. The sound is similar to the one a chainsaw makes but is a bit different at the beginning and the end. Was the sound of a bellowing gator. Paddle to the East and the South side of the canal looking for the source. Did not find it. Maybe was something else? No...I was almost sure it was a gator. Then I found the gator, hiding behind a fallen palm tree, which gave me a Yak Dave Trifecta for the day. In the unlikely case you do not know what I am talking about  check any of the Dave's Yak Tales tales for Haulover Canal and you will see.

Haulover Canal Gator

Looks who is watching!!!! Yak Dave Trifecta for Views From Our Kayak!!!!!

Three little kids were in the water 150 ft from where the gator was. I warned their parents and returned to the end of the dirt road where I put in.

Lurking gator at Haulover Canal

And this is it for this one. My apologies for the lengthy post. So much too share, and so little time. Thanks for reading and do not forget to follow or Like us on Views From Our Kayak - Facebook. See you soon from another beautiful place in Florida and we will share more Views From Our Kayak.

Haulover Canal

BONUS COVERAGE...

But I was not done for the day. On my way back home, North of the Show Hill Rd bridge over the Econ River saw a shape under the trees. Made a U turn and went to check...

What a day!!!!!!!! Yak Dave Trifecta (Manatee, Dolphin, and Gator), and a deer to end it. Gotta love kayaking!!!!!!!!!! Now this one is done. See you soon.