Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve
Edgewater, Florida Canaveral National Seashore
07 31 2020
4:01 PM EST
28°55'18"N 80°49'50"W
88° F, 31.1° C
77% RH
ESE 11 mph
Intracoastal waterway
National Park, boating, fishing, bird-watching
We’ve paddled away from the Fish Camp in Bethune Beach. It’s a little after 9am and the sun is hot. We glide into the mangroves, heading toward Eldora, passing through water also known as the Turner Flats. We pass a sandy beach and see thousands of tiny crabs marching away from the shore, startled by our approach.
The kayak scraps the ground and we use our paddle to push forward. A Roseate Spoonbill flies overhead. For a split second we think it's a flamingo with its bright pink underbelly and wings. We spot a Snowy Egret, and paddle close, attempting to capture a photo. It flies away with a loud protest. Oyster beds peak up through the water, providing a place to rest for Brown Pelicans and a colony of seagulls.
The kayak scraps the ground and we use our paddle to push forward. A Roseate Spoonbill flies overhead. For a split second we think it's a flamingo with its bright pink underbelly and wings. We spot a Snowy Egret, and paddle close, attempting to capture a photo. It flies away with a loud protest. Oyster beds peak up through the water, providing a place to rest for Brown Pelicans and a colony of seagulls.
We remove our shoes and let our feet hang over the edge of the kayak, occasionally dipping them in the water to help keep us cool. We are hot and thirsty. We scan the shoreline for a place to stop. The shore is dense with scrub and broken palms but we spot a picnic table and pull the kayak onto the sand.
We are so tired from the sun and hours of paddling; we rest for a long time. In an attempt to gain energy, we throw water on our heads. We eat and settle back into the kayak. As we paddle into the afternoon sun, two dolphins break the surface of the water in front of us. We stop and watch, but they do not surface again for a long time. Mullet fish jump all around. Within a narrow channel, we record. In the distance, we can hear the faint din of construction and the drone of a low flying plane. Exhausted, we return our kayak to the Fish Camp and make our way home.
We are so tired from the sun and hours of paddling; we rest for a long time. In an attempt to gain energy, we throw water on our heads. We eat and settle back into the kayak. As we paddle into the afternoon sun, two dolphins break the surface of the water in front of us. We stop and watch, but they do not surface again for a long time. Mullet fish jump all around. Within a narrow channel, we record. In the distance, we can hear the faint din of construction and the drone of a low flying plane. Exhausted, we return our kayak to the Fish Camp and make our way home.