Total Pageviews

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Canaveral National Seashore


Dolphin at the Mosquito Lagoon

Am not sure if this is the best pic of this trip. Have to look at the rest of them tonight but a leaping dolphin has to be the opening anyways so here it is. Regardless, had a very nice paddle in the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon. The best part of it came at the end of the day when a pod of dolphins decided to put a show with tails hitting the water and an acrobatic display. Add some manatees to the mix and it was almost perfect.

Reddish Egret

Put In / Take Out: North Access of the Canaveral National Seashore National Park in what is known as Apollo Beach. I used the Parking Lot #7 because this is how I learned but there seems to be another launch spot at Parking #6.

Manatee near Turtle Mound munches the vegetation around

The whole purpose of this trip was to see dolphins, which I did not see on my recent paddle at Haulover Canal. I saw one immediately on this trip, twice, but the little fellow was not pic friendly and after teasing me launching a mullet airborne with its tail and catching it mid air decided that it was enough and swam away. 

Osprey

After missing the chance for a dolphin pic told myself there was going to be another chance and kept going north on the Mosquito Lagoon. My first stop was Turtle Mound and here is what I saw on that leg of the paddle.

Great Egret

Gull

Cormorant

Osprey

Brown Pelican

Say Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

How did I do?

Great Blue Heron

Royal Tern

Royal Tern

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Osprey

Stopped at Turtle Mound because it is not unusual to see dolphins in this area. It was a nice break also as a shade was covering a corner. Was there, on the shade, when heard the classic "pfffftttt" of a manatee surfacing. A herd of 5, maybe 6, where around with some of them munching on the mangroves and the vegetation nearby.

Manatee near Turtle Mound

Manatee

Manatee

Manatee

Manatee

After spending some minutes with the manatees and with no dolphins around decided to keep going North, this time to Bethune Cove, where planned to take a break and eat my lunch that left at home. Of course, did not know it at the time. There were some more manatees at Bethune Cove...


Manatees at Bethune Cove


Classic manatee tail pic

Manatee

I come in peace

Hello. I wanna be your friend.

Curious manatee

Left Bethune Cove on my way back to Parking Lot 7. Was hoping to finally see some dolphins on the return. Paddled down the middle of the lagoon but soon enough decided to stay at the West bank as motor boats were up and down frequently, The water level was high so was able to explore a few locations I had never been before. Some Reddish Egret pics are the only ones I have to show from this...

Reddish Egret


Reddish Egret

Started to feel dissapointed about not seeing dolphins. Sometimes things do not work our way and after all, this is not a zoo. But then saw a splash, a huge one, in the distance. Then another and another one. Dolphins!!!!!!!!!!! Good news...and it had to be more than one. Bad news...I was easily more than half a mile away. So put the turbo and paddle as fast as I could to the area. It was worthy...

Dolphins

Dolphin splashes with its tail

Dolphin

Dolphin pair

The pair left and thought it was the end of it. But then saw them leaping and playing like 400 meters to the South. Was going there anyways so it was an easy call to go near them and shoot more pics. More dolphins were in the area and it was a delight. It is a shame the Sun was covered by a stormy clouds in the distance. But here is what I was able to get.

Dolphin

Scene at the Mosquito Lagoon

Dolphins

More tail splash

Tail spin

Splash!!!!!!

And more splash!!!!!!!!

Dolphins

Very active dolphin pod

There were eight dolphins in the area

Dolphins

Playful dolphins

Dolphins

The people at the fishing pier had a good spot to see the show. Not as good as mine though.

And this is it for this one. Thanks for coming and hope you come back to our next post. We will be sharing with you more Views From Our Kayak.

Canaveral National Seashore - North entrance








Monday, September 7, 2015

Ritch Grissom Memorial Viera Wetlands (NKP)

Black Skimmer doing what Black Skimmers do...

Am not crazy enough to go to a State Park or to kayak on a Holiday. No thanks. Have done that and it is not fun. So decided to take a walk and practice my photography today at the Viera Wetlands. The weather played me again and had to cut it short.

Great Blue Heron

Here is a link with information about the Viera Wetlands, including the address. Am going to keep this one simple, without comments. The following pics are from a walk inside at the Wetlands...

Green Heron

Pied Billed Grebe

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Moorhen

Gator

Gator close up

Snowy Egrets

Snowy Egret

Frog

Belted Kingfisher

Green Heron

American Coot

Tri-Colored Heron

Duck

Black Bellied Whistling Ducks

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron

Ibis

Bad weather was all around the Wetlands so decided to go back to my car and leave. Before leaving drove to the Moccassin Island Tract. A couple of spoonies flying in the distance was the only interesting thing I saw...

Spoonies

Spoonie

Roseate Spoonbill

On my way out decided to drive around the Click Ponds. They were closed on my previous trip here.


Green Heron

Anhinga

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Osprey

Osprey

Wished I had better weather and not the overcast gray background for some of the pics. The osprey was extremely pic friendly. A lady in front of me got out of her car and came within 5 feet of it. Anyways, this is it. If you are returning thanks for coming and consider yourself invited for our next post. We will be sharing with you, hopefully, the Views From Our Kayak.

Viera Wetlands scene