Mother Manatee and calf on the Chassahowitzka River
Our adventure continues, read Part One here, with a mother manatee and calf right in front of the boat launch and docks. The fact that these two made it into the No Wake zone is a miracle in itself. So far, from our experiences on the river, we’ve witnessed all sorts of motor boats speeding through the shallow waters of the Chassahowitzka River on their way to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and Gulf of Mexico beyond, including one boat that flipped a group of kayakers off as they sped by. Rude!
Manatee on the Chassahowitzka River
We spent a few minutes floating quietly alongside the manatee (known locally as “Rachel” for a distinct circular scar on her head) and her unnamed calf while taking pictures with my waterproof Olympus Tough TG-860. I’ve used a lot of different brands of waterproof cameras and the Olympus is my current favorite. I was able to get quite a few pictures of mother and calf and was simply astounded by the number of scars across both of their backs. I am all in favor of No Wake zones and greater protection for these gentle aquatic giants.
Catch and Release Channel catfish on Salt Creek
We slowly headed back downriver to try to find Potter’s Creek and spring, taking lots of time along the way to wet a line. At every turn we spotted Osprey, Kites, Egrets and Herons as well as large schools of Mullet and Snapper. Later, I hooked into a fish and was happily taken on a sleigh ride by what turned out to be a Channel catfish along Salt Creek. Other boats along the way seemed to be having good fortune as well, catching Redfish, Tarpon and Sheepshead. Not surprising considering this is a tidally influenced river bordering an estuary.
Yellow-bellied turtle on Salt Creek
I split off from my teammate and headed deeper into Salt Creek thinking it must be Potter Creek. Despite the error, I enjoyed spotting Yellow-bellied turtles, Little Blue herons and a Wood duck with chicks. I found a promising spot on the creek and tried my hand at fishing for a little bit before deciding to rejoin my companions.
By the time I met back up with my friends, we’d been on the water for about 5 hours and decided to start heading back to camp, stopping once again at Snapper Hole to get rid of a bit of squid I’d been using for bait.
Speeding boat on the Chassahowitzka River
Along the way we were passed by more speeding boats and I remarked that in terms of sharing the river, this was the rudest bunch of boaters I had ever encountered. Normally, most boaters reduce their speed when encountering kayakers so as not to swamp their boats. Not here, so all we could do was keep to the side of the river opposite the boat channel and keep an ear out for their motors.
We slowly made our way back to the boat launch and the No Wake zone and were rewarded with more quality time with the two manatees we met earlier. After a few minutes, I paddled back up to the Seven Sisters Spring and the solution holes and took some more pictures, including one from inside a solution hole with the help of a young volunteer. I don’t know that I’d be brave enough to swim through the underwater holes connecting the solution holes myself, but perhaps I’ll attempt it on my next trip.
Manatee Rachel
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