[Paddlewise] Halifax River, Florida Trip Summary

The following is a summary of trips taken on 4 different days.  Complete
trip reports can be found at http://csisler.com.

Having just arrived in Florida from the frozen north of Georgia, I was
desperately in need of a (sea kayaking) fix.  To satisfy that craving, I
dumped the boat in the first available body of water I could find.  The
Halifax River, part of the Inter Coastal Waterway, lies about midway between
St. Augustine and Daytona Beach.

I got distracted while launching by a pelican.  It kept circling around the
tiny little cove I was launching from and then would dive into the water
with a fair amount of speed after a fish.  It's a wonder it didn't break
something hitting the water that fast and hard or at least get a headache.

This section of the Halifax River is less than 100 yards across.  I always
imagined the ICW as much wider to accommodate tankers and such.  I guess
depth rather than width is the key.  The Army Corps of Engineers are
responsible for keeping the ICW dredged to an appropriate depth.  Most of
the water I paddled in was 1.5-2 foot deep, but of course I was out of the
channel most of the time.

Immediately to the south of where I entered the ICW is a Manatee Zone.  This
is an area Manatees are known to frequent and boat speed is limited to help
protect them.  The signs probably refer to the summertime because the
manatees are elsewhere this time of year.

Lots of blue herons and some smaller dark colored wading birds lined both
sides of the river along with a few of what I choose to think are egrets.
I poked around in some coves and some dead end rivers (which I guess means
they're not rivers, duh). Every once in a while the possibility of
alligators crossed my mind.  The mud banks along some of the feeder streams
looked ideal for 'gator sunning spots and I started looking behind to see
what might be gaining on me.

Kabloona is a book about a woman kayaker paddling through the Northwest
Territories. She tells about being in an area with lots of seals and
walruses.  Paddling along one day, she had the distinct impression of being
watched.  Looking around, she saw a black nose and two black eyes set in a
white head not far behind her.  It was a polar bear stalking her with every
intention of having her for lunch.

That's what I felt like looking behind me for alligators.  After a while I
decided not to look for the 'gators themselves, but for signs of them, like
tracks, mud slides, etc.  Hopefully that would be sufficient.  Somewhere, I
think it would be a good idea for me to find out how to behave around those
gruesome, toothsome reptilians.

I'm paddling along, minding my own business, watching pelicans diving out of
the sky after fish, snowy white egrets and great blue herons stalking prey
on the shores,  when I look up and see 6 turkey buzzards circling overhead.
They went around and around with me pretty much near the center of the
circles.  Geeze, I certainly hoped they didn't know something I didn't.
Eventually I paddled out of their circle so apparently they had their eye on
something else. Phew!

Nearing my little cove at the end of the day I saw a large power cruiser
coming up through the Manatee Zone with pretty large bow waves pushing out
in front.  As I reached the edge of my cove, he exited the zone and zoomed
by me.  His large wake hit the shallow waters I was in and started breaking,
right over me.   I was in 2 foot water and these were about 2 foot, nearly
vertical waves, one right after another.   I tried to nose into them but
each one broke over the deck or over my side as they pushed me around.  They
didn't cause me any real problems except to turn a nice dry trip into a
soaking wet one.

Day 2 I put in a couple of miles farther south.  Heading north would bring
me to the put in at the state park where I launched yesterday. This would
only be a couple of miles but I could always turn around and go the other
way too.

When I got even with the state park ramp, I swung over to the other side of
the Halifax.  Almost immediately I saw something scoot away from the bow of
the boat towards shore.  Little puffs of sand hung in the water as the thing
disappeared.  A little farther on another one took off.  My first thought
was some little marine animal then I thought of a fish a foot or so long.

And then I saw one.  A sting ray!  Just this morning we were talking about
the Florida Keys and I said I hope to see a sting ray, not step on one.  And
there was one.  It was plate sized and kind of a brownish, purplish color.
Now that I knew what I was looking for, I began to see many of them in the
foot deep water, some of them the size of a platter, but most dish size.  I
tried to maneuver the boat to get a picture of one but they were too
skittish.  They were easy to see but hard to get near enough for the camera.

I started noticing ray sized indentations in the sand and assume that is
where they rest or feed or whatever and cover themselves over with sand.  In
50 yards or so I saw 10-20 stingrays and then none.  The indentations were
still around, but no rays.   I gave up on them and picked up speed and then
would glide over one.  I would be moving too fast to snap off a picture or
stop and try to work back to one.

It appeared (notice I say appeared) that they had little tadpole type legs
or some kind of protrubance at the base of their long spiked tail.  I really
didn't get a real good view looking down at one but that was the impression
I had so I may not be as crazy as I sound.  Tadpoles grow up to be frogs.
Maybe this was some sort of species that grows up to be alligators or
something.   I'd half expect those suckers to chase me up on shore and then
run after me on those hind legs, like those hooded lizards that run on
water, and whack me with that long stinger thing.  Hey, what do I know?  I'm
just an old Yankee boy from up north.  (12/31: A park ranger later confirmed
this.  He said they were appendages used by the stingrays to help steer, so
there!)

Many sail and power boats move up and down the ICW and you can't help but
wonder where they've been or where they might be going.  Maybe to a New
Years rendezvous with fellow sailors for an extended cruise or an around the
world voyage.  Maybe to the Caribbean or the South Pacific.  Maybe
Scandinavia or the Mediterranean, East Africa or the Indian Ocean.  Sigh!

Day 3 I put in at Ponce de Leon Inlet. The barrier islands and peninsula run
60-80 miles or more with only this one break in them.  I would expect some
really strong currents to flow through the inlet.  The channel out to the
ICW was lined with lots of egrets, blue herons and some smaller gray and
some white wading birds.  A lot of (red tailed?) hawks soared overhead and a
few perched on the limbs of dead trees.  I saw a new bird, for me anyway. A
moderate sized white bird with a long, thin, orange bill and black tail or
feet.

I was just paddling along with no particular goal in mind when I saw a
dorsal fin 150 feet or so away.  I just happened to be looking where it was.
It didn't reappear right away so I marked it off as a porpoise.  But a
minute or so later I saw two of them appear together and realized they were
in fact bottle nosed dolphins.

They started surfacing every 5 seconds or so, sometimes lunging forward with
a splash.   Then I saw there were 4 of them, one out in front and 3 in a row
behind it.  I gave chase and would estimate their speed at maybe 3+ knots.
I was able to catch up to them without a lot of strain and pain.  I had the
camera around my neck, turned on and zoomed out.  I had a little feel for
when and where they would surface and was prepared when I was correct and
snapped off one picture.

I'm sure they saw me but didn't really pay any attention. What is more
amazing is they didn't get run over by the powerboats.  Nor did I.  After
getting my picture, I thought it might be a good idea to get my butt out of
the main channel.

Day 4 - Ho Hum.  Just another one of those average New Year days.
Temperature in the upper 70's, water in the mid-60's, bright sunshine,
brilliant blue skies, beautiful fluffy white clouds, a 5 knot wind to keep
the heat down, the tide pushing me along for a change, both going out and
coming back, no bugs, lots of snowy white egrets, great blue herons, yellow
topped pelicans, sting rays, dolphins, etc.  Yawn!

The Ponce de Leon Cut looked interesting on the map so I paddled a couple of
hundred yards against a mild tide and wind to where it branched away from
the Halifax River.  Once through this channel I was able to point the kayak
south and let the wind and tide move me along at their own pace.

I mostly just watched the birds and a couple of motorized hang gliders.
Well, one was shaped like a hang glider while the other was more like a sky
diving parachute.  Both had a little go cart type vehicle underneath and,
presumably, a person coordinating things.

I began drifting over little puffs of sand again and soon was watching
stingrays, mostly platter size, sliding by under the kayak.  And then,
coming the opposite way up through the Cut I saw a couple of dorsal fins
coming right at me.  Then a couple more a little farther out.  Then I saw a
school of 6 inch fish jumping out of the water as the dolphins drove them
right at me, all 4 of them working as a team, sometimes splashing and making
a commotion to herd the fish into shore where, presumably, they became
lunch.  Cool!

I followed the dolphins out into the center of the Cut where they milled
around a little, one guy almost surfacing 5 feet from the kayak.  They
apparently had come up the Cut far enough and did an about face with me
paddling along beside them as they dove and surfaced frequently on the way
down river.  When a powerboat came zooming by they wouldn't surface for a
minute or so.  Every once in a while, one of the dolphins would jump about
half way out of the water.  I started to wonder if it was trying to get a
better view of the area.  I thought I saw seals in Maine popping up out of
the water for a better look at their surroundings.   Maybe the dolphins were
watching out for powerboats or something.

A couple of hundred yards from the end of the Cut, a half a dozen dolphins
appeared, coming in the other direction.  They all met right in front of me
and I was surrounded by 10-12 of them.  They seemed to be greeting each
other like it had been some time since they last met.  I'm sitting there in
my kayak as all these dolphins romped and frolicked within 10 feet of me.  I
was so excited and dumbfounded I just sat there and watched with my mouth
open and didn't even think to take a picture.  Not until after one dolphin
jumped completely out of the water just like in the shows though maybe not
as high. Then all I could do was say Damn!

So, these paddles were just happenstance.  The Halifax River just happened
to be there when I got my paddle wet.  I bet you don't find it in any guide
books or tourist brochures.  But each of the 4 paddles was great.

Clyde Sisler
http://csisler.com




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