Warm and Happy as a Manatee!

It can be cold up north this time of year, maybe frozen. It’s a good time of year to think about warm water paddling, getting a little Vitamin D from sunshine, and relaxing! And it’s a time of year when you can get inexpensive flights to Florida.

Spring-fed rivers have 72 degree crystal clear water

Florida is a big state well served by international airports, so if you’re thinking of flying there, check out the paddling possibilities close to the airports. For the warmest water and warmest weather, the Gulf Coast and the south tends to be warmer than the Atlantic Coast and the north. There’s a reason why the mangroves are in the south. They don’t like frost.

  

On Florida Gulf Coast you often see dolphins

Winter is a good time for seeing manatees when  the Ocean and the Gulf are cooler than the warm spring fed rivers and close to power plants with their warm water outflows.  Manatees like to hang out in the 72-degree-year-round temperatures of the springs, and there the water is clear enough to see every detail looking down from a kayak. But they'll often approach you, even when the water is less clear.

Manatees hang around kayaks and love the warm water

It is easy to rent kayaks to tour these rivers. Some companies offer guided tours, others launch you at the top so you drift and explore on your own to a pick-up downstream. 

If you have seen enough of manatees, then there are the birds, and of course on some rivers you might be lucky and spot alligators.

 

Sandhill cranes find a place to nest by a river

The open coast may require more paddling than a downstream drift, but white shell-sand islands, mangrove tunnels' ancient native shell mounds, Civil War era fortifications and dolphins make the effort worthwhile.

The freedom of a sandy beach on an offshore island

The last weekend of February every year is the Florida Gulf CoastSea Kayak Symposium, (canoes too!) offering trips and instruction, lectures and social events in the Tampa Bay area. That’s a really good event for getting to know the paddling environment, meeting up with like-minded paddlers and picking up some extra skills in the warm water from a host of good coaches from all over the world. 

New guide book "Paddling Southern Florida" offers great trip plans

And you can plan your trips from the comfort of your home. Anticipate the fun. Thumb through a copy of Nigel Foster's new Paddling Southern Florida Guide Book from Falcon Guides for ideas. You can buy a signed copy at store.nigelkayaks.com. (Select "signed copy" option) You'll find...

Order a signed copy from store.nigelkayaks.com

each of the 50 and more trips described is shown with maps, directions to the launch, step-by step route directions, places to eat and places to stay, as well as a wealth of information about the creatures you’ll see, the environment and enticing tidbits.  All in color!

Ready for a leisurely downstream river drift?

Tempted? See you there last weekend in February at the Florida Gulf Coast Symposium?

Early break in Florida

It's time to escape the northwest for a break in balmy Florida!



We take a trip on the Hillsborough River with Barb and Rick to look for wild birds and alligators. True to form we are soon gasping at the outrageous color of roseate spoonbills, at the tall striding sandhill cranes, wood storks and every variety of egret, and paddling under trees shaking with vultures.



The weather still cool, it's not the best for sunbathing alligators... but enough for the vultures...


Skilled sea kayaker Brad Tanner of Mote Marine gives us a great guided tour of the facilities at this non-profit independent marine research laboratory and rehabilitation center at Lido Key, Sarasota. With the longest-running research program into dolphins, Mote Marine scientists can identify every resident dolphin in the Tampa Bay and surrounding area, often from just a single photo, and have genealogical records running back more than 50 years.



Dolphins and sea turtles feature strongly here, but there are manatees at the rehab. center too. It's a great way to see what they look like underwater without getting your face wet!


And if you really don't like sticking your head in the water, you can see through the side of the 135,000 gallon shark tank too!


(If you like fishing, there's a life-sized model of the largest hammerhead shark caught locally with rod and line to show you what's possible...) (That's Brad standing beside the hammerhead shark)





With more than 200 varieties of Florida marine life on display in the aquarium, Mote Marine is the perfect place to start if you're visiting Florida. It shows what you might see, and I always see more when I know what to look for.


If you see specimens here that look less healthy, remember this is a working research and rehab. center. Many of the creatures you see were brought here injured or ill. After recovery they will be released again if possible.


With my brother David and lovely Kim, Barb, Rick, Claudia and Russell, we spend a day on the Weeki Wachi River.

Manatees float in the pools


Further upstream the water gets clearer and the colors more vivid.














Florida for me is about kayaking, canoeing and guitars. This year we are offered a guided tour of the Dean Guitar Workshops in Tampa, by John Puhl. It was really interesting to see how a growing company like this operates, and see the precision processes that are used to create these great-playing guitars.












No Florida trip would be complete without dropping in on Kent Sonnenberg at Legends Guitar inc. Kent always has some cool vintage guitars there. Guitars are always changing hands. It's fun to see what's in today... and his son Chad (a great guitarist!) is working on their web site, so soon you'll be able to see their new arrivals on line.












Inspired, we pull out a few guitars at home to play. Between kayaking trips, Russell has been spending more time playing with the Sizemore Band.
















The band rehearsals are at his house, but we see them play in Dunedin...



















Close to Dunedin and the brew-pub is honeymoon Island. Claudia takes us there to watch the pods of dolphins, and to picnic on the white sand beach.















Claudia and Kristin...








Before we leave for home we explore the Weedon's Island Preserve; there's a marked canoe trail there, and a kayak rental concession, and a boardwalk through the mangroves and an interpretive center. Something for everyone! We take off along the canoe trail; pristine white-sand beaches, mangrove tunnels and shallow lagoons with birds, cruising stingrays and leaping mullet...