celtickayak - Cadhcáil in loch, abhainn ⁊ farraige

alexander springs-ocala forest kayak-camp

2009-04-11T10:37:00.009-04:00

wow! what a trip this was!
and at this point of paddling in amazing florida... it takes a lot to be blown away........................

for this trip we went down to alexander springs in central florida. the plan was to spend the day paddling, load up, backpack 6 miles into the ocala national forest, backcountry camp and then hike the next day through the forest looking for florida black bears.

day 1. the paddle

there are two good launches for this river. the first is a public launch under the bridge right before the park entrance.
which is where i have put in before. the second is from inside the park. we had a lot of expensive gear with us this time and opted for the safety the park provides. under the bridge.... not so much.
we put in at the spring head in alexander springs state park and headed downstream.
the run itself is 8 miles and the start looks very like ichetucknee, wide and very similar plant life.
as it goes on, past about mile four it starts to narrow and there is some nice canopy cover... which is great in the summer.

there was plenty to see on this trip, bitterns, green herons, belted kingfisher, we saw some beautiful bald eagles fishing from the trees on the banks. all kinds of turtles and alligators....... all the usual suspects. we were happy to see so much.

we spent a couple of hours on the river before leaving as we still had a 6 mile hike ahead of us so we didn't do the full run.. but we'll be back for sure.
read on below.......

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day 2. camp and hike.

after we loaded up the kayaks we headed over to the ranger station at juniper springs.
this is where we would leave the cars overnight. the fee for this pleasure was $10..

so on with the back packs and away we went. we hiked for 6 miles to the prairie we checked out the last time we were here.
unfortunately, since that time they had a forest fire that burned 10,000 acres.. so it looked very different.
luckily graham remembered how far in the site was and we made it there.

the prairie was an island of unburned grass in the middle of the enormous scorched sea so we were very happy.
we had come looking for bears but weren't so sure now because of the fire.
when night fell it was beautiful.. no lights and the stars shone so clear.
then, to my utter wonder the woods and grass all around us started to dance with the light of thousands of fireflies.
i was blown away, i have never seen them before and definitely never camped out with them..
it made the trip for me regardless of the bears.... it was truly magical.

the next morning after some strong coffee.. we started our hike out.
just before we left we seen this spider by grahams tent. not sure what kind she was but if you look close you can see tens of blue baby spiders on her back.
as we walked through the woods we came across a big male black bear rooting for grubs and tubers right in front of us.. it was exhilarating!
we watched him for a while then he disappeared so we moved on. not 5 minutes later we walked across another one, smaller but sill very big.
this made our trip!

the ocala national forest is an amazing place to go. it is a jewel in the state. and back country camping is the way to see it.
no lights but for stars, no noise but for frog chorus......firefly shows, bald eagles and bears with you morning coffee.

i cant wait to go back!!!

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs
till next time, slán-dave

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fort clinch kayak-camp

2009-03-28T09:45:00.009-04:00

fort clinch state park in fernandina is where we went for this kayak-camp trip.
it is an hour north of jacksonville and along with its sister park cumberland island national seashore forms the florida-georgia state line.

there is so much to see and do in this state park, from amazing wildlife viewing, mountain bike trails, hiking trials, nature walks and of course unbelievable paddling.

you are not allowed launch from inside the park, but right around the corner from the main gate is a public ramp.
there are so many white sand islands and tributaries that it is easy to lose your way. from tiger island all the way over to cumberland island. a paddle past the fort at twilight is amazing cause it really takes you back in time, more so that a lot of the forts we have been to.. i think it may be because its a state park and there are no houses or signs of modernity to be seen.

this was a one night camp trip so we tried to take advantage of everything. the nature and hiking trails are well worth doing with lots to see.

we were lucky enough to spend two hours photographing a great horned owl that was nesting in the park with her two chicks.
raccoons, eagles, osprey, pelican, dolphin and so much more are easily seen in this park. it is a wonderful place to spend a few hours or days paddling and camping and we will be back.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs
till next time, slán-dave

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chassahowitzka river- homosassa springs kayak-camp

2009-03-21T09:30:00.014-04:00

the beautiful nature coast on the gulf of mexico is where we headed for this kayak/camping trip to the amazing chassahowitzka river in the homosassa springs basin. and what a fantastic trip it was.

graham, connor and myself headed down to camp over on friday night at the chassahowitzka river campground. as far as campgrounds go, we thought it was lacking in a few areas, the spots were too close together, with no privacy. but we didn't mind too much as their launch area is second to none.
we put in saturday morning at 8:30 am while everybody was starting to wake up and put their breakfast on. this was the perfect time as we were the only ones on the river... and it was beautiful.
the chassahowitzka river takes its name from the indian for "river of hanging pumpkins". apparently the native american tribe that controlled the river used to grow a type of gourd along the river and it could be seen hanging from the branches over the river, which they would collect in their canoes.

we headed 3 miles down stream to the salt marsh and open waters of the gulf before turning around and heading back as we wanted to explore some of the creeks.
we decided on potter creek. as we headed back it was now 11 am and more people were on the river. the tide was in and a silt bar had stopped them at the entrance to the creek so it was the perfect place for us. we portaged over the bar and within a few minutes were back on water.

this creek was amazing. it runs for a mile in and as we were the only ones there, the animals were not disturbed.
we passed 2 big flocks of little blue heron, belted kingfishers zipped overhead, night herons looked out from the trees, tricolored herons waded by. we passed within a few feet of gators sunning themselves on the banks, we passed a lot of raccoons as the foraged by the rivers edge. so many ducks swam by our kayaks it was hard to count, some would even paddle alongside us for a while. this area has a large population of bald eagles and we were lucky enough to see two.
hoards of black vultures sit in the trees in groups of 20 or more and the crystal clear waters lets you see the amazing fish life.
one of the reasons we were here was to paddle with the manatee as this is one of the places they come to over-winter.

we were able to stop and watch as a mother and calf played under our boats for 20 minutes, gently breaking the surface for air. it was a beautiful thing to see this amazing endangered animal in the wild, and worth the trip.
we continued on to blair creek, which is a tighter paddle to the spring head and not as much to see.
we took out at 2:30pm and were ready for campside food and a couple of beers.

an early night was had by all as tomorrow we would spend the day in the homosassa springs state park and the crystal river archeological state park.

this trip is well worth doing for the beauty of the gulf coast and the variety of things to do. this whole delta has hundreds of springs and creeks with something different down each one. its all there to discover, so get out there.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs
till next time, slán-dave

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juniper springs kayak-camp trip 09

2009-03-07T09:06:00.015-05:00

DAY 1: .................... JUNIPER SPRINGS PADDLE
for this trip we loaded up and headed back to juniper springs. graham, conner and myself.
this was going to be a 2 day kayak camping trip and we would be staying in juniper springs state park, located in the ocala national forest.
we arrived down sat morning at 9am, got set up and were in the water for 10. we put in at the parks canoe launch by the main spring head.
the run its self is 8 miles and flows into lake george

the first 2 miles were a bit of a struggle as you can see from grahams face.. but it was made worse by the fact that he was in a 16' touring kayak.... so be warned, the smaller the kayak the better on this creek.
this was an unusual paddle in that we didn't see any wildlife at all. one turtle, one woodpecker and a deer.
this is the third time i have been down this creek and it is always teeming with life. so it made for a very empty feeling.

the creek is covered in canopy for the first half so you are well covered from the sun but the second half opens up and gets wider so it gives you a chance to get out and stretch your bones.
it was a beautiful day and a great paddle.
we reached the bridge take out point at 4;30, loaded up and went back to camp for some much needed food, campfire and a cold one.
we were exhausted and turned in early to rest as we had a long hike thru the ocala forest in the morning.
zzzzzzzz
.

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DAY 2: .................... OCALA FOREST HIKE

after a good nights sleep and some strong coffee we were ready for the hike ahead.
we were going to do the 'florida trail', its a marked hiking trail that runs thru the forest for 40 miles.... we weren't going to tackle 40 miles this morning...

we entered from the entry road to the camping site after signing in with them and giving them some basic info ( number in party and expected return time)
there are plenty of primitive camping spots and we wanted to scope out a few for our return trip in a couple of weeks.
we found the perfect one in juniper prairie (3rd pic below) and decided that would be our camp site.
all in all we hiked 12 miles, 6 in and 6 out,,, past hidden pond and beyond.

the ocala national forest is a beautiful place to spend a few hours, or a few days.
we cant wait to come back here to camp.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs
till next time, slán-dave

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anastasia island kayak-camp

2009-02-28T00:45:00.006-05:00

anastasia state park is located on anastasia island in saint augustine, florida.
this is a great place to paddle, camp, surf and swim.
kayak rentals are available from a kiosk located inside the park as well as catamarans and wind surfers.
there is plenty to see and do, from trail hikes, beach access to dolphins, snakes and an abundance of birds as it is on the great florida birding trail.
this is a short post as we have covered this area a lot in previous posts.
i just wanted to post some spring camping pics to annoy my friends in dublin, where it is currently snowing.
: ) dave.

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the silver river trip 09

2009-01-17T17:07:00.012-05:00

for our latest post, we went back to the silver and oklawaha rivers.
there was an overload of things to see so it has been very hard to edit this post and pick which pics to use.
even though i trimmed a lot, this is still a picture heavy post, so enjoy.

graham, conner and I packed up and left jacksonville at 6am during a record cold spell in the low 20's.
it is an hour and 40 min drive down to our put-in at the wilderness r.v park off state rd 40.
it's 3 bucks per car to park and use their launch which is great knowing your cars are safe and secure.

we put in at 9 a.m and headed left down the oklawaha for about an hour. it is a black-water river and the banks were full of red shouldered hawks, barred owls, black vultures and belted kingfishers. i didn't expect to see too much on this trip as it has been very cold lately and the wildlife have been laying low but it was off to a great start. as it turned out, this was to be the start of an amazing day.

we headed back and started down the silver river, it is spring fed and the water is crystal clear with a 6mph current. our goal was to head down to see the famous wild monkeys, stop at the state park rest area and have a packed lunch of homemade bread, soup and coffee before turning back. the whole way down was surreal, as every possible bird or animal to be seen on the springs were out today.
the biggest alligator i have ever seen was on silver river and i seen him again on this trip. i am used to paddling with alligators, on my own a lot of the time and photographing them quite close but when you are 10 feet from something 3' wide and 14' long and a mouth as big as my shoulders it gives you a different perspective.
we had the benefit of seeing thru the bare trees to watch the macaques forage for berries, watch the kingfishers, cardinals, anhingas hunt for fish and grubs and when we stopped to have some lunch there were a few armadillos hunting bugs on the banks beside us. the food really helped and gave us the boost to start the paddle back where we were treated to the same show of wildlife. conner seen some otters on the bank with some limpkins but i couldn't get a pic, maybe next time. todays paddle was fantastic and at the end of the day we had spent 8 hours paddling but didn't notice any time go by.

the silver river is an amazing trip any time of year, but i like to do the springs when its cold out. 9 times out of 10, you'll be the only one there and if you sit still, the world opens up.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs
till next time, slán-dave

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from the blue ridge to the smokies

2009-01-11T21:31:00.016-05:00

well the latest post is from a recent kayak/hiking trip in north carolina.
based in asheville for 6 days. it was a great chance to paddle some of the local lakes and hike in the blue ridge and smokey mountains.
day one was lake james, about an hour east of asheville. it is a great paddle with a lot of wildlife and some spectacular views of table mountain.
day two was a day hike to 5721ft mount pisgah from the blue ridge parkway all the way to the old vanderbilt hunting lodge. with breathtaking views and amazing scenery.
i spent day three back on lake james, taking a different direction to discover the many coves.
the last two days were spent hiking in the snow covered smokey mountains. the cataloochee divide trails and the asbury trail were amazing. with 1600 black bears and countless other wildlife it is a place i will return to many times.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs
till next time, slán-dave

return to the suwannee

2008-12-28T20:43:00.015-05:00

well, we wanted to end the year off right so we packed up and headed back down the suwannee. graham, connor and myself met up at 8:30 and put in at the same beach as last month. you could see the difference in the trees since last month when the leaves were turning, this month they were bare.

we spent 6 hours on the water and as is the way on this part of the suwannee the wildlife was scarce.
a belted kingfisher stayed just ahead of us for most of the paddle, flying ahead as soon as we got too close and ever watching. i was able to get one or two good shots but photographing kingfishers is one of the hardest things to do as anyone who has tried will tell you.
i also got a shot of this american robin in a tree just above us and one of the very few turtles.
it was a perfect paddle to say goodbye to 2008 with the low winter sun stretching through the trees.

see you all in the new year,
click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

winter on the creeks

2008-12-24T22:43:00.009-05:00

well 2008 is winding down, the holidays are here and it is a perfect time to see winter on the creeks.
here are a collection of pictures i took on christmas eve, christmas day and st stevens day.
watching the colors change through the year and seeing the different birds and animals come and go on their seasonal migrations is such a wonder. the northern birds, like the belted kingfisher all start to show up to over-winter here and then our birds head to south america for the winter. the gators are asleep and the snakes are thin on the ground. all wait for the coming of spring and the birth of the next generation. 2008 has been a good year, we were glad to have you along. i hope you enjoyed the blog and i hope you are inspired to get out on the water.

till next time, enjoy, dave.

suwannee river kayak-camp

2008-11-16T19:12:00.015-05:00

well this weekend was a fantastic kayak camping trip on the suwannee river. suwannee means 'echo river' and was named by the timucua indians, who controlled most of north florida at the time the spanish arrived
this post is heavy on pics, but i honestly didn't know what to shoot as there were so many breathtaking things to see.
so i tried to give a full feeling of the river without going nuts.... so with that said, on to the post...

we arrived down friday evening to the campsite and got set up and settled in. it was a warm evening, still about 70 degrees and i was a bit concerned it would stay warm all weekend as i hate camping in florida heat... the humidity makes for a miserable time.
however, that concern was short lived as a torrential downpour started up for the whole night but with the tarps up we were good.

the next morning was beautiful.. it was about 40 degrees.... perfect!
i put in at a small sandy beach at a turn on the river and headed west with the current... which was stronger than i thought it would be.
one side of the river is sheer 30 foot bleached limestone, pocked completely with holes eroded over millennia.
the other side of the river is brilliant white sugar sand that is so white it was sometimes hard to look at.
the suwannee itself is a really dark ruby red and when you are in the shallower water the red is so strong against the white sand.

surprisingly there was not a lot of wildlife on the river. i spent 3 hours on saturday morning without seeing a single bird or mammal. with 3 hours on sunday going east, i seen a red shouldered hawk fighting a squirrel and then an american coot but all that aside it was the scenery that blew me away. there are however 8 foot 200 lb gulf sturgeon that jump out of the river and seriously lacerate and injure people. they have warning signs posted on the shores. (i find it amazing to imagine something bigger than the biggest person i know launching out of the river at me, thats gotta be scary)
saturday i didn't see a single soul on the river and it was a beautiful eerie feeling, sunday i ran into a troop of scouts from st augustine.

this river is a kayak camping trip everyone should do... it is one of the most beautiful paddles i've done and to see it in fall as the leaves turn was magical. i hope you enjoy the pics and are inspired enough to load up your kayak and head to the river.
till next time, slán, dave.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

guana nature reserve

2008-10-19T22:05:00.009-04:00

well today was a great paddle and the first time we did a tour podcast.
for this trip we headed down to the guana river nature reserve.
it is just north of saint augustine and is separated from the sea by a narrow stretch of dunes.

it was a beautiful paddle on a beautiful morning.
there was brad, graham, steve, julie and myself and it was a nice 4 hour paddle.
we put in at the info center and headed south, stopping on a small island to stretch our legs and watch the dolphins.

some beautiful shots for this posting were taken by graham mcgeorge, our kayak fishing specialist.
below you can see some of the shells that julie spoke about on the podcast.
we hope you get a chance to listen to it on our main site www.celtickayak.com.
till next time, slán... dave

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

3 feet high and risin'

2008-09-28T08:41:00.009-04:00

well this past sunday brad, margaret and myself took a trip out on a very flooded julington creek. the water was the highest ive ever seen... still high from hurricane fay even though she was weeks ago. the st john's is a north flowing river and the prevailing onshore winds wont let it drain to the sea.

we put in at hood landing, where the flooded remains of clarks fish camp stand in stagnant mosquito infested water.
as i was unloading i seen this huge moth on the pier... it was so big that at first i thought it was a child's figurine.... it was laying in the morning sun drying the dew from its wings. it was about 5 1/2 inches wide and the same long. thanks to wikipedia, turns out it is a luna moth that only lives for 7 days and has such a short life that it doesn't even have a mouth... a fact that im still talking about a week later... check out the wiki link, it is so interesting.

we headed left (west) up the creek all the way back to the palmetto park launch. it was a beautiful paddle and the weather was just right. i got some nice pictures of a couple of pileated woodpeckers dancing up and down a tree. brad caught sight of this spider in its web which made a really nice shot. i have been looking thru my books but haven't identified it yet.
then i got a shot of this beautiful lizard with the best camouflage i have seen, specifically evolved for this particular tree.
we were on the water for just over 4 hours and it was so relaxing.

originally when i parked the car it was 4 or 5 feet from the flood edge.... but as you can see below, when i got back it was another matter completely.

till next time, slán...dave.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

surf kayaking jax beach

2008-09-27T22:26:00.006-04:00

the waves were kicking up today, so we jumped in the car and headed out to the beach.
our first stop was micklers, but there were no waves so we headed on to jax beach where there were some nice 4 and 5 foot breaks.
there was one guy out Paddle Surfing or Ku Hoe He'e Nalu as the Hawaiians call it.. looked pretty chill for up here.. though im sure its a different story in hawaii.
here are some great pictures of steve fighting the waves and giving as good as he got.

remember, for a closer look just click the pictures.

till next time, enjoy. dave.

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vilano beach to anastasia island

2008-09-13T20:17:00.013-04:00

well, its hard to believe it's been almost four weeks since we were last on the water... but this hurricane season has been busy the humidity this august has just been disgusting.
we wanted to get back out on salt water and get onto some sand dunes.
so we packed up at 8am and headed down highway 1 to vilano beach.

we put in and headed south over to conch island state park, which is home to the endangered anastasia mouse.
it is so different paddling around dune islands. there is a lot of wildlife... but the thing is you have to look a bit closer.
there is a nice beach on the calmer west side of the island and thats where we stopped to take a look around.

the terrain is all cacti and sea oats, but in between there are small colorful flowers. the 'moth' in the picture below was about 4 inches long and so unusual looking. i have searched through my books and on the web and cant find out what it is, so if any of you know please let us know.
the skink here is a five lined skink and as we headed into the wilder part of the dunes, a five foot rattle snake shot across steves path. he hid under some cactus and scrub, and although i tried to get a picture... i didn't push the issue too much, for obvious reasons.
i will insert links later with some more pictures, but remember there are more pics on the main site in our tour section.
so, till next time, i hope you enjoy. slán, dave.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

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surf kayaking micklers beach

2008-09-01T22:11:00.007-04:00

here in northeast florida we unfortunately don't have any white water, we do however have a lot of ocean and some great waves..... especially during hurricane season.
this hurricane season has been pretty busy and given us some nice waves.

this is micklers beach, my favorite beach here in NEF and somewhere we paddle a lot.
if you are planing a visit to us here, a trip south from micklers beach is a great way to spend a few hours.

here are some great pics of steve riding some nice waves.

flags

2008-08-05T13:09:00.002-04:00

kayaking the florida keys

2008-08-03T22:12:00.026-04:00

well... this is a trip i have been planing for a while. kayak the florida keys.
and this weekend i finally got to do it. we drove 7 hours down to knockemdown key as i was told by some locals that it is the best sea kayaking spot in the keys, and they were right. we were the only ones there and it was beautiful. the water is between 1 foot and 4 foot deep and crystal clear.
when you paddle between the islands the wildlife is beautiful. right along the waters edge you can see endangered key deer and iguanas, wild peacock, blue crab, stone crab, osprey and so many sharks.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

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wekiwa springs - rock river - day 2 of 2

2008-07-25T23:30:00.008-04:00

today was the second day of a 2 day trek to document some of the rivers in the wekiva river basin. today was the turn of the rock springs river which flows for almost 9 miles to meet up with the wekiva river. i started out at 11 am and finished at 6pm, so it was a long day. i entered the river from the wekiwa springs entrance thru the small almost hidden entrance you see below.

the current of this river is the strongest of any of the spring rivers i have ever done... and i really underestimated the time it would take me... hence the 7 hours. it was difficult to get pictures as the minute i stopped paddling i would be pushed and spun by the current. as this was the second day after an extremely long day yesterday it was frustrating, exhausting and got old real fast.... as you can see on my face in the picture below. most people enter this river at the source in rock springs reserve and float down with the current. if i ever do it again, thats what ill do.

there is so much to see on this river, i got some great pics of baby alligators, red-bellied woodpecker, ibis, little blue heron, warblers, the spider is a wolf spider and it was HUGE! this white tailed deer just stopped and looked at me from the bank. i also got another picture of the tree mushrooms from yesterday, you can see how fast life and death are on the river, they have grown so much more and a spider has set up home. timucua indian settlements scatter the banks here. a reminder of a less hurried time when they lived and fished the river.
till next time, i hope you enjoy, slán, dave.

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wekiwa springs - wekiva river - day 1 of 2

2008-07-24T20:53:00.025-04:00

well,.... this is day one of a two day trip in the wekiva springs river basin in the centre of florida. today was the wekiva river section and tomorrow is the rock springs river run. they both start out from the wekiwa spring which forces out 42 million gallons of water into the river each day from colossal caverns underground.

Wekiwa comes from a Creek Indian word meaning "bubbling water" or "spring of water" and is used to speak of the spring itself. Wekiva means "flowing water," and is used as the name of the river which is fed by Wekiwa Springs

you can enter the river from the wekiwa springs state park... they have a canoe rental concession area,... so you can conveniently rent from them or you can park your car and carry your own kayak about 700 feet from the closest car park.... which is inconvenient at the start of the day and bloody torture at the end. all that aside, it is the only downside to this river. i came here to see the florida black bear, which lives in the forest surrounding the river but unfortunately it wasn't to be today, maybe tomorrow ill have better luck.i did however see a great collection of life on the river.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

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palmetto leaves regional park

2008-07-09T23:59:00.040-04:00

well....... we have been hearing rumors about the new julington creek kayak launch for about a month now and haven't been able to find it.. but steve got the scoop on the location and off we went. you can now enter the creek right at the start and take a pristine paddle for an hour and a half to hood landing... so its a nice 3 hour roundtrip. at this time of year most animals and birds seem to be showing their newly born young the ways of the creek. there is a lot of young gators, turtles, osprey, egrets, spiders and everything else finding their way on the river.

i was blessed to see a beautiful 'barred owl' soaking up some warmth but as you can see, he spun his head, took a second to figure me out and off he went thru the wood. the first heron is a 'Yellow-crowned Night Heron' the second is a 'little blue heron'. the lizard creature is on the endangered species list, it is a 'blue tailed mole skink' and is well north of its range. the dragonfly is a 'halloween pennant dragonfly'...which looks so cool. the turtles are 'florida redbelly', the grasshoppers are 'lubber grasshoppers' and the spider is a 'golden silk orb-weaver'. i took this picture as it rolled its prey in a silken ball and its youngster looked on...... bing! dinner is served!-till next time, i hope you enjoy, slán, dave.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

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saint augustine slideshow

2008-07-05T19:23:00.001-04:00

kayaking with the manatee

2008-06-22T14:52:00.012-04:00

well today was a great paddle here in julington creek. myself and steve got a chance to paddle with a pod of manatee.
two parents and a baby. the baby, although small, was the size of a large seal. these creatures are amazing, weighing up to 1200 lbs and as big as our kayaks. The name manatí comes from a spanish translation of the Taino - (which are the original peoples of the Caribbean), meaning "breast".

Florida manatees have been known to live up to 60 years. They use the lip to gather food and eat, as well as using it for social interactions and communications. Their small, widely spaced eyes have eyelids that close in a circular manner. Manatees are also believed to have the ability to see in color.The population of manatees in Florida is thought to be between 1,000 and 3,000, yet population estimates are very difficult. The number of manatee deaths in Florida caused by humans has been increasing through the years, and now typically accounts for 20%-40% of recorded manatee deaths. In 2006 there were near 300 registered and confirmed manatees in Florida killed by human activity, the majority of these, that happened to be discovered by Florida Fish and Wildlife, have been caused by boat strikes.

if you look at our pictures here from sunday you can see the marks of a propeller on our manatees back. it was a real honor to paddle with these animals last sunday. they are one of the most placid, docile animals i have ever seen and i hope more is done to protect them. and for all you boaters out there... please be more careful in the manatee zones.
steve is an award winning wildlife photographer and took some great shots too, so as soon as i get them from him ill post them also. i hope you enjoy the pics. till next time.

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Ichetucknee river

2008-05-11T22:26:00.029-04:00

well today was a solo paddle down one of my favorite rivers here in florida, the Ichetucknee river. Ichetucknee is a native american word (possible creek indian) meaning beaver pond river. it is absolutely pristine and an amazing paddle. the river run is 6 miles each way, so i paddled 12 miles in 4 hours, taking it easy ..... we were on tornado watch and the wind was whipping the surface of the water making crazy cirlces but for the most part i was protected by the trees and it was calm......i put in at the north entrance, which is the only place to put in if you're a kayaker.. this is a river i've run 6 times and i wanted to do one more time before the summer kicks in and all the tubing hoards come... between memorial day and labor day is a nightmare, there is a shuttle service and every yahoo in the state floats down the river in an inner-tube. all that aside, i was the only one there today and it was amazing. for the whole first half of the river i couldn't stop taking pictures- there were white tail deer looking out from the trees, raccoons trying to catch fish, wood ducks, snowy egrets, american white ibis, american bittern, turtles, wild osceola turkey river otterand limpkin .... and i think i seen them all, unfortunately i didn't get pictures of them all but i got some good pics nonetheless. i will put up some more links to this wonderful river over the next few days to give you some more information but for now please enjoy.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

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fort matanzas

2008-04-05T18:41:00.005-04:00

today we took a paddling trip i have wanted to do for a while. we loaded up at 9 am and headed down to fort matanzas on the matanzas river. it took us an hour drive south from jacksonville on highway 1. the fort itself was built by the spanish to protect their city of St augustine from being attacked thru the backdoor by the british.

the whole area has such an incredibly interesting history. the fort was built on the matanzas river, which got its name (matanzas being spanish for massacre) from an earlier incident when the spanish massacred 200 french Huguenot settlers and left their bodies for the alligators to snack on. oh those spanish, you couldn't bring them anywhere!

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

anyway, we put in on the beach at the ferry launch behind the main visitors centre. we slowly headed north over to the fort to take some pictures. on the weekends there are re-enactors that fire cannons every half hour, just like at the castillo de san marcos up river.

the water was so clean and the wildlife was out in force ... we saw conch sliding underneath us, stingray glide under us, every 10 minutes or so a loggerhead turtle would swim up to us to see what we were doing. they were so beautiful.

when we got where the channel opens up and turns the corner we saw dolphin breaching. we paddled the rest of the channel with the dolphin beside us. the loggerheads were so fast that it was hard to get a picture but i was lucky enough to catch a dolphin behind steve as he came to shore.

we took a break halfway on one of the many empty beaches and i decided to take a walk and see if i could get a picture of a snake. instead, i stepped on a cactus and man, though it was small it hooked in there good and hurt like a mofo. this is an absolutely beautiful trip and well worth it for any paddler here in N.E florida. we paddled for 3 hours and got back to our launch just before the skies opened with one of our famous florida storms. fish tacos and beer finished an amazing day.... till next time, enjoy the pictures.

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wildlife of northeast florida seen from our kayaks

2008-03-16T19:09:00.022-04:00

we have been doing a lot of creeking lately. too much to post every one. i have compiled a selection of the wonderful wildlife that live here in the creeks. i hope you enjoy. anyone wishing to come along on our guided weekend tours of the waterways just get in touch early as our trips book up so quickly... email or phone me from the contact page. dave.

salt run to castillo de san marcos

2008-02-02T10:16:00.007-05:00

for this trip we decided to get back out on the salt water. so we packed up and headed down to saint augustine. right behind the lighthouse is a boat ramp called salt run and thats where we put in. we headed north west up the salt run, around the peninsula and over to the castillo san marco. the tide was out when we left so we had to navigate the sand bar which was a pain... there wasn't too much boat traffic which was great. we landed at the mud flats beside the castillo to get out and stretch our legs for a bit. every hour in the castillo there is a tour. at the end they shoot off one of the cannons. the last time we were down here we were in the water under the cannons and the sonic boom shook the water and hit me in the chest really hard. i only got a picture last time, so this time i took some video footage. we spent about 30 min walking around and then headed back to the kayaks. the way back was really tough... the tide was coming back in and all the currents were mixed up. it was a struggle getting pulled in every direction. we got soaked. the whole trip was just 7 miles round trip but it took 3 hours so that tells you how tough it was.

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julington creek to durbin creek

2008-01-30T09:21:00.006-05:00

sunday jan 27th.
we set off from the mandarin park boat ramp at the julington creek bridge at 8:30am.
we headed east past the island in the middle of the river.
the river splits in two here. if you go left you will reach clarks fish camp and stay on julington creek.
we stayed right at the fork and headed down durbin creek. it is much prettier and has less traffic.
the river narrows to about 40 feet with turns and twists so you really don't know what's around the next bend...
just the way i like it.
it is so quiet back up in here, just you and nature.
i was on my 14' necky manitou recycled (the only kayak on the market made from 100% recycled material) and steve was on his 14' oldtown cayuga. it was a 10 mile round trip and we took 3 hours.
the weather was nice and cool which helped make it a great paddle.

click on the pics to enlarge.. and remember to visit irishwaterdogs

durbin creek

so quite back here, a great paddle to escape work and recharge your batteries.

steve taking 5 where the creek opens up a bit into a larger pool

steve at the big tree where the two creeks split.

map of julington creek and durbin creek
our put in is marked A at mandarin park.

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walter jones park to buckman bridge

2007-11-04T10:55:00.003-05:00

today we took a trip out from walter jones park in mandarin florida. the park used to be an old winery- the first in florida i think- and it is so interesting to walk around. we put in at the boat ramp and headed north to the buckman bridge. the paddle was only 7 miles and we did it in 1h 40m taking our time. the weather was warm and the river was nice.... not too choppy.

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full moon paddle -mandarin

2007-10-26T02:09:00.002-04:00

for this paddle we put in at the jullington creek bridge ramp just off san jose and headed west.
it is a 6 mile paddle to walter jones park and back but there was no wind or waves which made easy work of it.

here is steve between some old dock posts

being visable on the water at night is such an important thing. my vest is great because it is reflective but i also carry a flashlight and have a red strobe constantly flashing on my vest. the one i have is the Princeton-Tec Eco Flare which is vital kit and inexpencive from nrs

as we got closer to the shore and treeline we stopped for a while and just floated. it was so quiet and peaceful. the only things we could hear were the wings of the bats that would fly within inches of our heads as the flew down just over the water to catch the flys.

taking 5 with the bats

steve chillin

heading back

a great paddle... now for a warm fire and a cold beer.

castillo de san marcos- saint augustine-florida

2007-10-09T21:47:00.002-04:00

The Castillo de San Marcos, built 1672-1695, has long protected the city of St. Augustine. The Castillo has been used under Spanish, American and British forces and was made a National Monument in 1924. The Castillo de San Marcos grounds are open to the public. Historical tours of the interior of this National Park are available.

juniper springs to lake george

2007-10-09T21:00:00.003-04:00

juniper springs is one of the most beautiful places i have ever kayaked in my life.
it is like paddling in jurassic park. the forest just seems so ancient. spanish moss hangs down from the trees, overhanging branches and crystal clear water make this a truly magical place. there is plenty of wild life, alligators, alligator turtles, cormorants,egrets and so much more. the flora is spectacular too. Im not sure if snorkeling is advised as sadly a woman got eaten here last year. i was swimming for a short while but heard something really big move through the undergrowth and enter the water..... i was back on my kayak in seconds. not the smartest thing I've ever done ill admit. this is one of the top two paddles to do in the florida springs.... the other being silver springs river.

notice-travel at your own risk.. the park takes no responsibility if you are eaten. if you do get attacked it is very difficult to get help down to you so your chances aren't too good.

steve and me right at the starting launch.

steve under one of the huge overhanging juniper trees

some of the shallower sections

egrets, cormorants blue heron to name a few

twisting branches overhead like jurassic park

halfway down the canopy starts to open up

steve taking 5 in one of the clear shallow pools

a huge alligator turtle. he was about 2 feet long

steve chillin in the lazy current

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switch to terrain and zoom in a lot. the run is almost completely covered with trees but you can see where it starts to become clearer as it enters lake george.

Amelia Island june 16th

2007-06-23T12:56:00.002-04:00

well this week was the meetup group trip and for it we went out to amelia island. there was a bigger turnout this time maybe 12 or 15 people. we started out from the base camp of kayak amelia and headed north. apparently it has the least traffic on the river.

the whole trip was about 4 hours and i think everyone got sunburned :-( ....... well i know i did... it was close to 100 degrees with no trees for shade and the u.v. factor was 8. there wasn't as much to see as on other trips sadly ... but there was a lot of crabs on the banks and the beach was great ... a good place to bring a portable cooker and have a bbq. ill have to do that next time.

there was far too many jet skiers for my liking .. dumb kids racing jet skis and kayakers do not mix well. the new people were all very nice, even though i didn't get to talk to them all... they seemed very enthusiastic and interested in going on other trips... i hope they do.

after the trip we went to 'safe harbor' restaurant and bar and had some great sea food.
meeting all the new paddlers was the best part of the day.... except for the corona in the restaurant, of coarse!!!
i hope everyone had a nice time and look forward to seeing you all at the next meetup!!!
check out some of our pics.

click any pic to enlarge:

me with my o.k frenzy

the last of the crew to leave the base ( i wont name who held us up... but sara knows who she is )

heading north

a much bigger group this week.
you'll have to bring a whip on the next trip to keep them in line tim.

fay and sara when we stopped on the beach at the half way point .
forgot the cooler this week, but i was tired leaving the house....

sara, david and scott on the beach.

new group members

peter waving from the water.... 84 degrees... nice!

deliverance....the chattooga river

2007-06-11T20:09:00.002-04:00

well here we are... the chatooga river. the border line of georgia and south carolina.
this is the river that made river running famous all over the world. the river where deliverance was filmed.
this is a river ive wanted to run for so long and it was one of the best trips i've ever had.

we left the day before and drove from jacksonville to clayton, georgia... there is no freeway so it was an 8 hour drive...exhausting! when we arrived we checked into the cleanest days inn ive ever seen and relaxed... we would have a big day tomorrow.

we ran the river with a company called wild water rafting and i cannot recommend them enough. their guides, food, safety,experience,camp and price were second to none.

this is our river guide on day one. paul. he was a great guide, a hard worker and a lot of fun.

going over bull sluice rapid, a nice class 4.

running some class 3 and 4 rapids.

after we ran it, it was nice to watch the others run this big one

the scenery was breathtaking

after 8 hours on the river, we pull in and make our way to the camp.. what a day. looking forward to some hot food and sleep.

ready to camp down at the end of day 1. it was tough but it was worth it.

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silver river; memorial day

2007-05-30T17:03:00.003-04:00

well the memorial day paddle was a great one. for this one we hooked up with the jacksonville kayaking meetup group. we met up and entered at the wilderness rv estate off highway 40 in ocala. it was 3 dollars to enter and the launch was good. all in all it was a 6 hour paddle down to the springs and back. the banks were lined with beautiful flowers and overhanging trees gave plenty of shelter from the sun. there was all kind of wildlife on the banks from raccoons to gators. cormorants sat perched on tree stumps jutting from the water and none of the animals moved away as you approached so it made for a great experience.

this is one of the smaller gators that just sat a few feet away on the banks. most of the ones we say were 4 to 6 feet until the way back when i took a close inside corner and found myself about 4 feet from one of the biggest ive ever seen. he was about 14 feet long and with a chest about 2 feet. i didn't get a picture as i was trying to put as much space between us as quick and as quietly as i could. i dont mind telling you i got quite a fright... but the adrenaline moved me on a bit.

about halfway down the river there is an island full of macaque monkeys. you can paddle right up under them and they'll walk right out on the branches just inches above your head. it was one of the main reasons i wanted to paddle these springs and i was so happy. it is a real treat to be that close to wild monkeys.

fellow paddlers mike and ame.

me at macaque island.

fay at macaque island.

peter at macaque island

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river otters

2006-07-05T19:41:00.001-04:00

some beautiful black river otters. orlando florida.

hanna park

2006-06-29T18:35:00.003-04:00

this post is from northeast florida again but this time in hanna park. it is such a great place for paddling, there is a large lake with plenty of overhanging trees on the centre island which make great places to rest from the sun and take it all in. be careful though! make sure to look above you as there are green tree snakes...harmless enough but if your not expecting them you might jump out of your boat if one falls in!!!

this is me and and a great mate rafo ó conchúir from the republic of cork. both with our ocean kayaks....great for florida. i usually keep my fins and snorkel on the back so i can easily dive in if there is something to see.

above is a banana spider...these are HUGE and they are everywhere in florida...especially in the overhanging trees by the banks and shores

raf and me again with our o.k yak board and frenzy

look out above!

a florida green tree snake

another green tree snake.

florida is a great place to paddle but remember there are 45 species of snake. out of these there are only 6 venomous......but it only takes you meeting one!
if you look to the links section i've put a link to a great site from a guy here in fl....Michael Dye, a Photographer and Snake Hunter and you can familiarize yourself with some of the venomous ones to help you recognize them better.

bartram trail

2006-06-24T17:52:00.003-04:00

kayaking the bartram trail in northeastern florida.
though in florida...it does get cold in the winter months. not irish cold, but cold. this trip was on december 6th. i was accompanied by my friend joe esparza and we were on our ocean kayak frenzy's.

my kayaking buddy joe esparza

getting ready to push off

on the water

scrawny trees everywhere reminded me of the louisiana bayous, made for some tricky maneuvering

these black vultures were starting to feast just when got there on a recently killed deer. though there is just one in the picture...there were at least twenty sitting just above us.

with the eyes just gone i wont show you the rest... but by the time we got back they had devoured the carcass. they look small in the pic but these birds can be 2 foot tall.