Haulover Canal

Spoonie feeds a young one

Only at Haulover Canal you can have your day ruined by the rain and still come out happy. It happened to me today. Two weeks ago I wanted to bring my friends to kayak here but the weather conditions were not the best ones to do so. Friday night the forecast was "light chop" for the intra coastal waters. That is not a deal breaker so to Haulover Canal I went. Was int the waters of the Indian River at 8:20 AM.

Indian River Osprey

Put In / Take Out: End of the dirt road North and West from the draw bridge over Haulover Canal. Here are the coordinates for you to plug them in your GPS: 28°43'50.5"N 80°45'40.3"W

Great Blue Heron

The conditions were perfect as I started the trip heading to Mullet Head Island, as always do when kayaking here. Mullet Head Island is a bird sanctuary and is like a mile away from the end of the Put In. The Indian River was flat and there was just a light breeze. Those conditions were not going to last too long. Here are some pics from the beginning of the trip...

Mullet Head Island ahead on the Indian River

Osprey. This one did meet me at the Put In

Roseate Spoonbill (Spoonie)

Spoonie

White Pelican at the South East tip of Mullet Head Island.

White Pelicans

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican

White Pelican

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret

Mullet Head Island Scene. This one should have been the opening. We have a Spoonie, a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron and a Reddish Egret.

Spoonie

Reddish Egret & Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Spoonie

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

Juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

That most recent times kayaking here I did circle Mullet Head Island clockwise trying to take advantage of the sunlight. This time, tracking the spot where I saw some Spoonies flying to, did go counter clockwise. Entering to the North side of Mullet Head spotted a gator patrolling the area. It was then when thought that maybe was going to come back home with a Florida Trifecta, as my mentor (Dave's Yak Tales) calls when a gator, manatee, and dolphins are seeing during a trip. Got the first, and the hardest one to see here, member of the Florida Trifecta...two to go. (Gator- Manatee - Dolphin) 

Gator in the Indian River

Gator...Two to go for the Florida Trifecta

Spoonie chick

Brown Pelicans' nest

Spoonie

Spoonie

Great Egret in breeding plumage

Brown Pelican chicks

Spoonie and chick

Spoonie chick being fed by a parent

I was taking the pictures above when heard the sound of an chainsaw behind me, only that it was not a chainsaw. The gator was bellowing and it looked awesome. Head and tail lifted, open mouth. But I was not in a position to take a picture as it was exactly behind me. As soon as I got into a position and lifted the camera, of course it stopped doing that. Am 0 for 2 in that department but will keep trying to get a pic of a bellowing gator. Back to our regular programming. More pics of the scenes around Mullet Head Island...

Gator at the Indian River

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret and chicks

Cattle Egret chicks

Cormorants

Cormorants

Cattle Egret

Brown Pelican

Great Blue Heron

Osprey

Osprey

Brown Pelican

Cormorants' huddle. It seems like a drill Sargent inspecting the platoon 

Spoonies in flight

Reddish Egret

That is a new one for me. Any idea what is that?

Brown Pelican

Sea Gull

Reddish Egret and chick begging for food

Reddish Egret

Brown Pelican

Osprey

Osprey

Brown Pelicans in flight

It was then when saw dark clouds and rain coming down South and West of my position at the time. I even felt some water droplets in my face. The wind suddenly picked up too so decided to start paddling back to the canal area. Was on my way there when saw a trio of dolphins. Great...Now have two of the three members of the Florida Trifecta...(Gator- Manatee - Dolphin). I was 100% sure to get the Trifecta on this trip...

Do not worry. The boat came out unharmed

Dolphins in the Indian River

Dolphins

Dolphins Trio

Dolphin

Dolphins

Dolphin

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphins

Dolphin

Dolphin...Two down...One to go for the Florida Trifecta...

A Storm is coming

It got really bad on my way to Haulover Canal. So bad that I skipped the usual entrance through an alternate channel South of Haulover Canal and got in directly there. As soon as I made it to Bairs Cove the rain finally came in, giving me time for just one pic...a manatee...and with that got my Florida Trifecta for this trip...(Gator- Manatee - Dolphin)

Manatee at Bairs Cove

I put my camera deep inside the cockpit of the kayak and waited patiently for almost 40 minutes. The rain was not going away and I was soak and wet at the time. So decided to go back to the Put In, look for a towel in the mini van, dry myself, wait for the rain to go away, and then go back to Bairs Cove, which I did...

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Manatee at Bairs Cove...Florida Trifecta accomplished!!!

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatees

Manatee

Haulover Canal Bridge at the far end in the center...Put In / Take Out area to the left.

Raccoon at the Take Out area... 

And finally this is it for this one. Already posted a short video on our Facebook Page so you are more than welcome to take a look. Thanks for coming and hope you return for our next post, when will be sharing more Views From Our Kayak.

Mullet Head Island view

Juniper Springs Run (aka Juniper Creek)

Juniper Run Gator

Today paid a visit to a place I once said was never going to visit again. Never say never. Had a pleasant paddle, in terms of nature and relaxation, at the waters of the Juniper Springs Run, or Juniper Creek. Wildlife was absent, humans were by the dozen, but this place has some magic and it is beautiful so did not come out disappointed.

Juniper Springs Run

Put In / Take Out: This was one of the rare times when the Put In is different from the Take Out. The Juniper Springs Run is 7 miles and change, pretty fast too, so paddling against the current and coming back with it on the return is a bit of a stretch. I tried it once and did not make it. Wifey demanded for us to turn around. This time put in at the Juniper Springs Recreation area and made the arrangements for them to bring me back from the Juniper Wayside, an area just past SR 19 bridge over the creek. For fees and other information please contact them. It was just me and my kayak and  paid around 20 dollars for them to shuttle me and the Perception Sport Conduit (that is my kayak) back, and a deposit of 20 more that they did refund to me at the end of the trip.

Juniper Springs Millhouse

Saw no more than 6 different forms of wildlife in the 3 plus hours I was in the run. At any other place I would have been disappointed. Not here. It was a lot of fun. This paddling location is not the easiest one you will find in Florida. Is fast, narrow for most of the way, twisty, and with hundreds of submerged and overhead obstacles. I cannot remember hitting so many stumps at any other place. Also came with a few scratches from low vegetation I was not able to dodge due to the speed. Regardless, heck of a time!!!!! Did even paddle some RAPIDS!!!!! Here are the pics of what I saw at the Juniper Springs Run...

Juniper Springs Run

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Gator

Muddy gator

Paradise like view

Obstacles over and under the run

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Beauty all over the place

Turtle

Turtle

SR 19 bridge over the creek. Juniper Wayside, the take out point, is just across the bridge.

Let me make a parenthesis. After the first time I did paddle here was determined not to come back again. A concessionary employee told me I was going to be arrested if went paddling upstream. Then, when we visited the recreation area after the paddle it was not the best experience neither. This time I gave an A plus to everybody. From the lady at the gate, to the folks at the store, to the guys picking us up at the take out, and the various employees doing rounds around, everybody was great. If any of you read this...THANKS for a great job!!!!!!! Since the family was waiting for me at the recreation area took some of them to see Fern Hammock Springs. It was sad to see how one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen has deteriorated since our most recent visit. The algae has overtaken the springs and green, instead of white sand and blue, dominates the scene. It is still beautiful but not as it used to be.

Green Anole...my niece saw this one.

Boils at Fern Hammock Springs

Alligator Snapping Turtle swims between the green sludge created by the algae at Fern Hammock Springs

Nature Trail

And this is it for this one. Hope you like the few pics we were able to post. Check the Facebook page as already posted a video featuring Fern Hammock Springs and will post another of the trip, with views of the run, later. Thanks for coming and hope to see you soon to share more Views From Our Kayak.

Fern Hammock Springs

Lower Wekiva River - Great Time With Friends!!!!!!!!!

Osprey

Had a great time with friends at the Lower Wekiva River. After two weeks without kayaking it was time to go back and back I went. Silver River, Haulover Canal, and Lower Wekiva River are my favorite places. Last year took Lisa and Jeff, friends from Michigan, to Silver River. This year wanted to take them to Haulover Canal and almost did. Had to call an audible because the conditions there were just terrible. Went to Katie's Landings to kayak the Lower Wekiva River instead. Also had the chance to say hello to Dave, from Dave's Yak Tales.

Al, Lisa, and Jeff

Put In / Take Out: Katie's Landings. Please check previous posts for information. I have the case of Saturday nights

Lower Wekiva River Turtle

Today was not the usual day in the Lower Wekiva River. It was a bit higher than usual. Heavy motor boat traffic and not the display the Wekiva always offers. Did not come home with many pics. We kayaked past the high grounds, popular illegal camping spot as we confirmed today, came back near the Hwy 46 bridge over the Wekiva River, and back to Katie's Landings. Here are the pics for this trip...

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Red Shouldered Hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Limpkin

Limpkin

Turtle

Turtle

Ibis

Little Blue Heron

Green Heron

Red Shouldered Hawk

Green Heron

Green Heron

Great Heron gets a fish

Juvenile Little Blue Heron

Lisa and Jeff in the Pelican tandem followed by Al in the green Perception Tribe

And this is it for this one. Will post a few more pics on the Facebook page so you are more than welcome to take a look. I hope to be back next weekend from another location and share will you more Views From Our Kayak.

Lower Wekiva River from the bow of my Perception Sport Conduit