Canoeing at Collier Seminole State Park

For my birthday this year I invited some close friends to go camping at Collier Seminole State Park in the western portion of the Everglades, near Naples.  We woke up Saturday to a beautiful, sunny day and rented canoes so we could paddle out to Mud Bay.  

The Rangers warned us of a recent issue with the Catfish.  Something was causing them to turn white, bleed around the lips, and die a very slow death.  Hundreds were found near the canoe launch and all looked very sick.

While the Catfish suffered the Vultures flourished.  I have never seen so many Vultures line a Mangrove bank as this one.  Dead catfish were everywhere and so were the Turkey and Black Vultures.  They were literally kettles overhead, vultures on the ground, and vultures in the trees.  I am sure whatever is killing the Catfish will not harm the vultures and those iron-clad stomachs they possess.

Once pass the canoe launch and down the Mangroves a bit, we were relieved to smell clean air and enjoy the paddle without dead fish abounding.

Along the way we spotted Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Spotted Sandpipers, and White Pelicans.  We also found Mangrove Crabs climbing on the root systems that lined the canoe tail.

After about 1.5 hours of paddling we found Mud Bay as the tide was coming in.  We watched as the flats became smaller and smaller.  The large flocks of peeps huddled together.  Waders were scattered about and one lone American Coot was seen.  It was a peaceful oasis with no one around but our little group.

After birding, wading around in the mud, and eating some snacks, we called it a day and fought the tide to make it back out to the main channel.

Our 3 hour paddle was the perfect way to unwind from the world and forget about everything.  No cell phones, no computers, no work...just a nice paddle with friends to pass the time.  Once back the group had a nice lunch back at the campground then we wandered back to the waterfront.

The girls all gave it a go at fishing while Andy and I took to the nature trail in search of a few more birds.  We found a lovely one-mile boardwalk loop that ended at a marsh.

The nature trail yielded one Northern Mockingbird.  The highlight of the trail was the nice pink lichen that covered many of the trees.

We ended the afternoon watching the sunset over the marsh and the vultures find trees to roost.  That night we cooked chili at the campfire and played cards.  It was a very nice way to escape into the wild of Florida and celebrate another birthday.

California Day 2 (cont.): Monterey Aquarium

After a morning of birding and watching marine mammals we decided to continue our afternoon with a visit to the Monterey Aquarium. I can't begin to tell you how nice this place is to visit. The tanks are a work of perfection. I loved the ceiling of anchovies, the kelp forest, the scores of jelly tanks, and the fun education sections that drew the children and young at heart in to play and learn. The seahorses were a steal of a show but I was mostly in love with the jellies, these beautiful and varied invertebrates. If you ever have the chance to go to Monterey you must block out at least a couple of hours to take in the aquarium and watch the sea life. You will not be disappointed.

Adventures at Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park has one of my favorite springs in Florida. Blue Spring is also the largest spring on the St. John's River. Camping in Florida during the summer is not for the faint of heart but if you're near one of these cool refreshing springs in Central Florida you will find that camping is perfect this time of year. The weekend of June 18-20th myself and five friends loaded up the cars and headed up near Orange City, FL where Blue Spring State Park is located. After a late night set-up, complete with a fire, we hit the tents for a big day at the park.

The camping group staring out over the spring fed river.

Blue Springs was littered with families and by mid-day it was a river full of people but near the springs wasn't as crowded and as we drifted from the spring head down to the recreation area there were times with little crowds. One of the great things about the springs was that most of the people were at the dock jumping in. The current was kinda strong so most of the people didn't linger on the river. This was perfect if you wanted to explore the shallow banks for fish. We found nice schools of sunfish, bass, and Florida Gar like the ones seen below.

Those dark slender shapes are Florida Gar, Lepisosteus platyrhincus. This fish is found in east and south penisula Florida.

The springs are known for being 72 degrees year around and in the winter are a refuge for manatees. The swimming area is only open during the warm season. It's great for snorkeling and scuba diving due the clear waters. The spring is 120 feet deep and can be accessed by cave divers. We brought the snorkeling gear along and gave the river a try.

Kim snorkeling near the bank. Notice the clear water.

Mo and Kim adjusting the snorkel gear.

Kim and I trying out the underwater feature of my camera.

Our camping trip to Blue Springs was a lot fun. We spent most of the day by the springs, cooling off when needed. Some other highlights were seeing a Florida Scrub Jay in the campground and jumping into the springs at night. Don't worry, we didn't stay along, just a dip to cool off. Alligators are not common around the springs during the day due to the heavy traffic of people but I am sure they may wander up there at night.

Blue Spring Cave

The shots above show you the opening to the springs. In that second photo you can see the blue fin of a diver. This opening was about 15 feet from the surface. I snorkeled down to the log but didn't go farther. Some people went quite a ways down the spring by holding their breathe but I mostly just swam above it and enjoyed the scenery.

Mo and Kim posing for a photo op near the spring head.

The other great thing about this park are the Live Oaks and palm trees that line the bank. It really gives you a authentic Florida atmosphere. The famous naturalist John Bartram visited this area in the 1776 and I imagine it doesn't look much different than it does today.

One word of caution about the springs, the rocky bottom does cause your feet to get a little sore. I didn't understand why so many people were swimming with water shoes but that became evident fairly quickly. If I could go back I would try a trip during the week, perhaps less crowds. But even with the kids screaming near the dock and the tubes floating down the river, I really enjoyed the camping trip. If you want a real Florida experience you should definitely try out the springs in Central Florida.