Shell Point, FL & The Spring Creek Springs
Summary:
It's been a busy past few days/long week of kayaking. To change up the variety, I actually went to a beach, as expected of a Floridian. I'm not a beach person. I just don't care for direct sunlight, sand getting on everything, sand getting in my drinks, sand getting on my food, mixing sand and sunscreen, roasting in the sun, sweating all over a book, walking around on hot sand, and sand. However I gained motivation thanks to a new kayak.
I took the Dagger Stratos out for its maiden voyage on a small lake near my house a few weeks back. Now it's time to really test the waters: sea kayaking lite. By lite, I mean exploring around the Apalachee Bay. Several rivers flow into this bay: Aucilla, Econfina, St. Marks, and Ochlockonee.
However, the area we were in is more specifically called Oyster Bay, which is in the Northwest part of Apalachee Bay.. Here is a topo map of Spring Creek, which is much more detailed than Google maps.
The Gear:
The Story:
 |
| This is the 'Rock On Paddle Stroke' |
There were plenty of people enjoying the beach for the holiday, but it was not crowded. Parking was simple, and we were able to get our boats and gear set up and head on out into the sea! (or gulf or bay). Unfortunately I didn't pay attention to my GoPro case, which turned out to be foggy for all of the pictures and videos.
Paddling with Dolphins
It didn't take too long to find dolphins. At one point we were even surrounded. None came close to being near us, but they lingered in the area for about five minutes. We also saw a pretty large turtle. The water was glossy in appearance - no waves to cause any disruption. The following video is not marvelous by any means, but it's the only obvious dolphin footage I could find.
There were many parts of the bay that were extremely shallow. The water appeared red in those areas. Once we got into the dredged canal, it was much deeper.
Smith (or Rabbit) Island
Our first destination was Rabbit Island, officially named Smith Island. Here is a video of the approach!
 |
| Smith Island, Apalachee Bay |
 |
| Hermit Crab |
Cold Hole
Onto the next destination! En route, I attempted a roll for the first time in the Stratos. When upside down, I felt like I was sinking. I managed to roll upright on the second try, but I realized that I was not wearing my PFD. The water was beginning to get cooler, which was due to our traveling to a spring.
Mike called this spring "cold hole", which might just be what the locals call it. Although looking at some sources and comparing to my Strava map, I believe this is Spring #10 of the Spring Creek Springs system. There are links to more information about this system in the Notable Resources section below.
It was farther away than Mike expected, but as soon as we heard voices and then saw boats, we knew we had arrived. As usual at springs and sandbars, people were chilling out on boats and in the water drinking beer. I put on PFD and got another roll in. The crowd requested another one, so I did another. It's time to learn some of the rolling party tricks. The surface water was all swirly and would change to different locations. It was pretty interesting.
It was farther away than Mike expected, but as soon as we heard voices and then saw boats, we knew we had arrived. As usual at springs and sandbars, people were chilling out on boats and in the water drinking beer. I put on PFD and got another roll in. The crowd requested another one, so I did another. It's time to learn some of the rolling party tricks. The surface water was all swirly and would change to different locations. It was pretty interesting.
We didn't stay for long then made the journey back. Once we were away from the spring, the bay became a gigantic warm bath. There was more wind, and the water became choppy. The weather was great, even though it's hot, but it was a nice few hours on the water.
Hurdles:
It's tough to find a lot of information on the springs system. I'd like to learn more. Some of the articles I found are from around 2000, and it's now seventeen years past that.
Relevant Quote:
TBD
Other:
- The flow from this springs system has a combined flow over 2,000cfs. (250% more than any other spring or spring system
- Considered a submarine spring. Wikipedia "Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) is a hydrological process which commonly occurs in coastal areas. It is described as submarine inflow of fresh-, and brackish groundwater from land into the sea."
- The vents can reverse at high tide
Strava map of course!
No comments:
Post a Comment