Rock Springs Run & Wekiwa Springs State Park

Deer Lady

Rock Springs Run was not the place I wanted to go today. But family schedules kind of forced me to go there. Do not get me wrong, I do like the place. It is just a harder than average paddle and you have to be very alert for the pic chances. To make things different the put in area, at the Wekiwa Springs State Park, it is usually a circus. I did have a good laugh waiting for my sons today just watching people going out on canoes at the lagoon. Some of them, even with the employees telling them, went out backwards and some made a minimal effort for not to end in the water.

Ibis' Flock

Put In / Take Out: Wekiwa Springs State Park. I will use the intelligent laziness concept. Please check previous posts about this location for information.

Great Blue Heron

Was in the water by 8:30 AM and headed down river looking for the confluence of the Wekiva River with Rock Springs Run. Shared the river with a couple coming upstream from Wekiva Island. Other than that, no one else. At Rock Springs Run there was a little more activity but not too much. Two kayaks and a canoe coming downstream was all that I saw in two plus hours. Turned around way after Big Buck Camp at 11:20. Here is what I saw...

Gator at the lagoon

Turtle

Limpkin

Otter Family. There were a bout four of them.

Otters

Ibis

Little Blue Heron

At one point, looking at the forest, saw two leafs that were not like the other leafs in the area. Of course not. I was looking at deer ears. Played hide and seek for a few minutes, battling The Run current, until it decided to take a peek. I was ready. That was the highlight of the morning up to that moment.

Rock Springs Run Deer

Rock Springs Run Deer

Turned around at 11:20, almost three hours after started my paddle. Now it was time to enjoy the scenery and let the current do most of the work. There were not many pic chances on my way downstream. Many song birds on the covered areas of The Run but, good luck trying to get a pic of them with the current pushing you down. It is a tough task. I decided against keep trying soon after. By the way, The Run was fast today. A little lower than in my previous trip almost a month ago.

Rock Springs Run Gator. One of three I saw on The Run.

Turtle

Turtles

Turtles. Same pair as above from another angle

And another turtlle

Reached the confluence with the Wekiwa River but the chaos was visible and audible in The Run before it. It was incredible. Paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, people stopped in the middle of The Run. People in canoes that do not have any business being in one since there was no control of it. Just got a reminder why I do not like to paddle here during the weekends. It is a different scenario. Anyways, here is what I saw from the confluence to the State Park.

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Wekiva River Angel Joanne on River Patrol

Great Blue Heron

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

 

Soft Shell Turtle

Made it to the State Park, carried all my stuff to the mini van but the kayak and my camera. Talked to one of my sons and they wanted to stay a little longer. So stayed in the lagoon area, in the boardwalk, watching insanity developing in front of me, total craziness. I have said this before and will say it again. The concessionaire should force their costumers to use the life jackets. One day someone will die there. Long story short, a trio of guys went out in a canoe. I said to someone besides me that it was just a matter of time before they ended on the water. Well they did. River patrol had to ask them to put the life jackets on since they were just there, floating, unable to turn the canoe over.

River patrol in action.

You have no idea how many people left the beach after renting a canoe, without knowing which side of the canoe was the front and which one was the back. At one point did count 5 in a row going out like that. In defense of the employees, they tell everybody. People simply do not pay attention. Had a good laugh though. Only one canoe had the common sense to realize something was wrong and corrected. After my sons were finished drove around the park before going home. It was a good drive...

Florida Gopher Tortoise

Another Florida Gopher Tortoise

Florida Gopher Tortoise

Deer

Deer. The only reason  this one is not the opening is because is not from the kayak.

Fawn

Deer

Deer

Fawns

Fawns on the run

And that is it for this one. Check us of Facebook every now and then for more pics from this and other trips. Thanks for reading and hope you come back next week for another Views From Our Kayak.

Gator swims at the Wekiva Springs State Park lagoon

Canaveral National Seashore - Mosquito Lagoon

Dolphins at the Mosquito Lagoon

Today's paddle was at the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon in the Canaveral National Seashore. The choices were Silver River, Chassahowitzka River, or the Canaveral National Seashore. Have not been here in a long time and Master Dave, from Dave's Yak Tales, posted a very nice one last week. Made me want to go there. So, here we go. A day that was much better than what the pics can show. Manatees, birds, hydroplanes, and a dolphin show better than anything you can imagine. Sadly I was not able to get a pic of this last event.

Historic Eldora State House

Put In / Take Out: The Canaveral National Seashore is a huge area. We have kayaked here before putting in at other locations. The easiest way for me to describe this one to you is by providing a map of where I was. This is known as the Apollo Beach area and is the Northern tip of the Canaveral National Seashore. The fee is $5 per vehicle. Used the Parking Lot #7 facilities.

Canaveral National Seashore scene

My day started at 8:30 on a windy morning. The forecast had it smooth but it was not. The wind was coming from the South and you could see it in the water. Saw my first manatee of the morning near the fishing peer close to the put in. No chance for a pic but we played hide and seek for a 5 minutes. It will come up, breathe, and go down before I could shot a pic.

Terns and Gulls at the Canaveral National Seashore

Will cut this one as short as I can so straight to the point. Paddled South for a while until reached the South tip of Orange Island. Then headed North. It was here when saw the first dolphin of the day but was not able to shoot a pic. Then, North of the area of the put in, saw splashes in the distance. Got closer for a better view and found the source: a manatee mating herd. The link, from Save The Manatee Club, will explain what it is.

Manatee mating herd

That was the first highlight of the day. The second, because I got stupid, did not produce any pic but it was one of the coolest things I have seen. A dolphin pod, more than 10 I would say, gathered to hunt. They started to hitting the water with their tails creating a huge splash wall I saw from the distance. As fast as I tried to go to the area did not make it. Stopped once to shoot pic but none of them came through and, when finally came close to it, a gentleman in a pontoon boat thought it was cool to put his boat in the middle of the dolphins. That dispersed the dolphins and left me thinking why in the world someone would do that. On the other hand, and my wife gave me a hard time about it; Why I did not record it? My bad!!!!

Dolphins

Well, summary time: Made it to Bethune Cove, a place manatees like a lot. There I took a break and stretched my legs. There were some manatees at the cove but did not get too many pics out of it. Quite frankly, was not in the mood. Just wanted to take a brake from the Sun. After Bethune Cove, back to the put in, stopping to shoot dolphins pics here and there and then the huge pod I mentioned before. Here are the pics of what I saw on this trip...

Belted Kingfishser

Hydroplane. This one made several passes during the day

Royal Tern

Foster Tern

Then the manatee mating herd...

Dude just mated. Swimming backstroke now and asking for a cigarette!!!!!

You do not go too close of a mating herd of manatees. Is not safe and chances are you will end wet.

From here to Bethune Cove...

Royal Tern (Non Breeding)

Foster Tern (Adult Non Breeding)

Osprey

Gulls and Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican

OK...Huddle Up!!!!!!

"Should I have my talons done?"

Osprey

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Willet ( not sure...someone correct me please)

Little Blue Heron

Mosquito Lagoon Scene

Sandwich Tern (flying)

Then from Bethune Cove back to the put in...

Butterfly at Bethune Park

Manatee at Bethune Cove

Great Egret

Brown Pelican

And dolphin's time...

Timing issue. One tenth of a second later and I would have had a heck of a shot here: See the other dolphin surfacing to the left?

Just swimming by

And this is it. Close to 5 hours in the water. Only two, including stops for pics on the way to the put in. Thanks for coming and hope you come back next weekend to share more Views From Our Kayak. Check our Facebook Page and Like us if you do.

Manatee tail at the Mosquito Lagoon