Gobblefest!

 It being a weekday I woke up around the time my alarm goes off.   I layed in bed for a bit and not a creature was stirring all through the coach, so as it was getting brighter, I got up to face the new day.

The view off of our site looking east at the dawn.   It was still very warm with a light puff of SE breeze.   I knew this wasn't going to last as there was a cold front pushing down and soon the wind would go SW and pick up.

I got changed and headed out on the kayak by myself.  Kids fast asleep and while Lucy woke up she was content to stay snuggled in the bed.

The water was oil glass and I paddled off to the north.   I decided to take a lap around one of the islands as we had done a couple of times on the last trip.

I just copied the old pic and even the 1 comes into play....  I had a nice quiet paddle up and around the elbow shaped island.  Tons of trout jumping everywhere (about a foot long, maybe a tad bigger).   Pelicans dive bombing for breakfast and saw an Osprey nab a fish as well.

I entered the slot between the two islands and was casually drifting just keeping the kayak straight and sliding forward watching the birds.   Around the 'crook' of the elbow, there was a snowy egret on a low branch.  It would lean forward and the branch would bend down so its beak was just above the water as it was hunting.  I guess the fish would swim away and it would lean back and the branch would go back up.  It reminded me of those drinking birds that you put on the edge of a glass (haven't seen one in years).

It is quiet except for birds and I am very focused on the egret hunting as my boat is flosting down this channel.   Earlier I took a sounding with my paddle and it did not hit the bottom (other areas are waist deep).   

All of a sudden there is an explosion of water literally right next to me and it scares the crap out of me.  My kayak is rocked and the boil area was about 6 ft across.  The water is dark brown so I couldn't see anything.  My initial reaction is I obviously floated over something and it didn't like it!    Gator is my first thought, then I remember where I am so I quickly dismiss that.   Next up is Shark?   It was powerful whatever it was as there was a big swirl of silt to go with it.  Maybe a dolphin, but I dismiss as well as nothing surfaces and I doubt I could sneak up on one...

I decide it is time to paddle away as it was a tad unerving.    After a few strokes I return to glide and about 150 yards later drift aroound the bend see backs in the water.  I have seen dolphins here before so oh ok.  Then I see the big paddle tail.  Manatees!   Now it all makes sense.   One was probably napping on the bottom and it sensed me real close and blew it's ballast and hauled ass.

I also smelled alot of methane when the explosion happened so it all points this way.   So now I see at least 4 manataees, so I give them a wide berth and paddle about 2/3 to the other side of the channel I am in.  Looking at the mouth in the map above.  The manatees are above and to the left of the number 1 near the mouth of the Island all the way to the left west of the elbow island.   I take a few strokes toward the elbow side and start gliding.   As my boat turned toward the ones close to shore I hear a big exhale and smell rotten sallad breath.  I turn to my left and there is a big one with its head out of the water so close I could touch it.  He is checking me out.  I say hello and hangs for a couple seconds and decides I'm chill and he sinks down and swims under my kayak.  I figure there are 5-6 total.   I kept drifting until I leave the mouth of the inlet there and the breeze hits me and carries me away.   

I have been paddling for an hour now, so I set course and head back to the campsite.  It's 9AM now and Lucy and Nate are up, but Naya is still asleep.   We start moving around start on breakfest of bacon, eggs and pancakes.    After breakfast, the kids go for a bike ride.

I have been having issues with cuts on my hands, so I beg off a second outing, so Lucy takes off in the kayak and hunts down the same aggergation of manatees.   Turns out there is a baby with them and she sees it nursing.   I am assuming she got a little too close as she said they pushed her kayak away from the mom and baby.

By now it was getting to time to head to my sisters for the big feast, so off to the showers and a shave and get ready..   By now the wind has switched around and is hard NW with the front pushing through.   We get to my sisters and ocean has a couple of things going on.

The shot from her balcony, there is very local  waves from the NE and a longer period ESE swell both are small. As the afternoon progresses you can see the ocean state grow starting about a mile out.while the temps continued to drop.

Dinner was delicious as usual.   Sadly Nancy is not in the pic as someone had to take it.   After dinner and way too much pie for dessert (we had 3 kinds) we headed back to the camp.

Nothing to report on as we didn't bother with a fire and the wind was now ripping.   Off to bed early!