RE: [Paddlewise] Halifax River, Florida Trip Summary

Heh Heh Heh:

>>>
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.
>>>
That's IntRa Coastal and some of us don't consider Daytona to be
Florida..more like South GA

>>>
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.
>>>

You wont see any takers in the ICW, but you will find tankards, usually full
of beer.

>>>
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.
>>>

This IS the time of year Manatees leave the cooler ocean and head for the
ICW. I've often seen them while paddling.

>>>
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.
>>>

Sorry to burst your bubble but no Gators in the ICW. Gators are fresh water
animals. You may find sharks, especially small bull sharks but the most
dangerous creature is the Jet Ski.


>>>
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!
>>>

Probably a garbage can

>>>
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.
>>>

That's where we ICW paddlers live! Wait till one of these suckers attempts
to pass another one or two with you and a seawall to beak the wake! Maytag
paddling!

>>>
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.
>>>

You will occasionally see one go completely airborne and hit the water with
a load slap! Shuffle your feet when you exit or enter your boat.

>>>
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!
>>>

Many come from Canada this time of year

>>>
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.
>>>

That's the Florida Macaw (G)

>>>
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.
>>>

Relatively rare in our neck of the woods. 


Give us a shout when you get further South (Delray Beach). Chuck Landis and
I go out regularly and there's some great paddling in Palm Beach County!
We'll go paddle with the gators!

cya

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