Bahia Honda State Park

After the tent was set up and all the preparations were laid out for the night I decided to explore Bahia Honda. I must say that this is one beautiful island. The rocky shoreline was full of sea life. I went out on the beach with intentions to get a closer look at the Ruddy Turnstones and the Black-bellied Plovers that were scattered about the rocks but I ended up putting my binoculars away after a few minutes of deciphering between the sandpipers and settled my attention on the invertebrates that were living below my feet.

In good tourist fashion I collected a few shells, picked up some rocks, and threw back lots of hermit crabs. The beaches of Bahia Honda are really crowded but this rocky area that I found near my campground was completely empty. I didn't see a single soul until I walked back up the path to the bathroom area. What this shoreline lacked in people in made up for in other wildlife. I loved watching the sandpipers running about and the full breeding plumage Black-bellied Plovers chasing off younger juveniles. And there's something about the ebb and flow of the water that just creates an overwhelming sense of peace. This may be one of my favorite beach experiences and I have plenty of them after living on the coast almost my whole life. If you have the opportunity to camp at Bahia Honda I definitely recommend it. The campsites are very private (more so than at Long Key State Park or John Pennekamp) and the beach will not let you down. I only wish my pictures could do this place justice.