On Thursday morning Donna, Amy and I took a 2.5-hour kayak tour in the canals and waters around Anna Maria Island, Florida. We met our guide and 6 other adventurers at the store that organizes the tours, Beach Bums in Anna Maria. We drove over to our launch point where our “sit-on-top” style ocean kayaks were waiting for us. The first thing we did was to get acquainted with how to handle a kayak. Our guide, Captain Scott MacGregor gave us a quick lesson. During our lesson Captain Scott pointed out a relatively rare bird sitting in a nearby mangrove, a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill. It was an exciting start to our adventure! Captain Scott is a U.S Coast Guard certified sea captain and a retired high school marine biology teacher. He has a wonderful sense of humor and kept us laughing as well as taught us about some of the wildlife, flora and fauna we ran across in the island’s rich eco-system. We learned some interesting facts. For instance, did you know that a one-acre island of mangroves can produce three tons of fish food annually as the mangrove leaves fall into the water and decay?
For those who know the area, we kayaked around the Robinson Preserve in Bimini Bay. There we saw nesting birds, including herons, pelicans, and many types of gulls. We also saw mullet jumping out of the water and, of course, lots of beautiful houses and boats lining the bay. We went up one of the many canals around the bay. Oddly enough, the canal we went up is the one Don (my Father-in-law) has his boat on. We kayaked right past his dock and it was interesting seeing things from that angle. While in the canal Captain Scott pointed out a couple of trees that are not native to the area which are causing controversy, a large shady Australian Pine and a towering Norfolk Island Pine. Originally imported to fight erosion, these trees are now outlawed in many parts of Florida due to their invasive nature, rapid growth rate, and non-native status. After Captain Scott showered Amy with pine nuts from the Australian Pine we kayaked back out of the canal and down the length of the bay. We made a brief stop halfway down the bay to get out of our kayaks and stand up in a very shallow spot (the whole bay is actually pretty shallow). After our brief rest, stretch, and a sip of much-needed water we continued on down the bay and went under the Key Royale Bridge and out into Anna Maria Sound. Once we got out in the sound Captain Scott told us that it is supposedly good luck to be able to see three bridges at once. From our vantage point in Anna Maria Sound we could see the Manatee Avenue Bridge, the Key Royale Bridge and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Also while we were in the sound we saw three or four dolphins. We had hoped to see a manatee somewhere along our tour, but we did not see one.
On the long paddle back to where we started out we saw more birds including a flock of parakeets that flew over the bay right in front of us making quite a racket. Everyone made it back safely, albeit with tired arms from the paddling. Especially me because I used a tandem kayak and paddled it by myself the entire way. There were not enough single kayaks for everyone and Donna and I were not willing to share a tandem – we each had to have our own kayak (some of you will understand).
This was a great adventure that allowed us to see a side of this beautiful island we would not otherwise have seen. I highly recommend the tour to anyone but must warn you that it does require some upper arm strength and the ability to stand the sun and heat. Even though our tour was in the morning, you still get pretty hot and it is a long haul. One of the people on our tour had to rely on Captain Scott for a tow for part of the way (none of us Jacksons I am happy to report!). Beach Bums does offer tandem kayaks, so if you are worried about making it you may want to share a kayak with someone else (preferably a strong paddler). The cost of the tour was $55 per person. The website for Beach Bums is here, tell them you heard about them on my blog and I am sure Captain Scott and the Beach Bums gang will throw in a free paddle and life vest with your kayak!
For those who know the area, we kayaked around the Robinson Preserve in Bimini Bay. There we saw nesting birds, including herons, pelicans, and many types of gulls. We also saw mullet jumping out of the water and, of course, lots of beautiful houses and boats lining the bay. We went up one of the many canals around the bay. Oddly enough, the canal we went up is the one Don (my Father-in-law) has his boat on. We kayaked right past his dock and it was interesting seeing things from that angle. While in the canal Captain Scott pointed out a couple of trees that are not native to the area which are causing controversy, a large shady Australian Pine and a towering Norfolk Island Pine. Originally imported to fight erosion, these trees are now outlawed in many parts of Florida due to their invasive nature, rapid growth rate, and non-native status. After Captain Scott showered Amy with pine nuts from the Australian Pine we kayaked back out of the canal and down the length of the bay. We made a brief stop halfway down the bay to get out of our kayaks and stand up in a very shallow spot (the whole bay is actually pretty shallow). After our brief rest, stretch, and a sip of much-needed water we continued on down the bay and went under the Key Royale Bridge and out into Anna Maria Sound. Once we got out in the sound Captain Scott told us that it is supposedly good luck to be able to see three bridges at once. From our vantage point in Anna Maria Sound we could see the Manatee Avenue Bridge, the Key Royale Bridge and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Also while we were in the sound we saw three or four dolphins. We had hoped to see a manatee somewhere along our tour, but we did not see one.
On the long paddle back to where we started out we saw more birds including a flock of parakeets that flew over the bay right in front of us making quite a racket. Everyone made it back safely, albeit with tired arms from the paddling. Especially me because I used a tandem kayak and paddled it by myself the entire way. There were not enough single kayaks for everyone and Donna and I were not willing to share a tandem – we each had to have our own kayak (some of you will understand).
This was a great adventure that allowed us to see a side of this beautiful island we would not otherwise have seen. I highly recommend the tour to anyone but must warn you that it does require some upper arm strength and the ability to stand the sun and heat. Even though our tour was in the morning, you still get pretty hot and it is a long haul. One of the people on our tour had to rely on Captain Scott for a tow for part of the way (none of us Jacksons I am happy to report!). Beach Bums does offer tandem kayaks, so if you are worried about making it you may want to share a kayak with someone else (preferably a strong paddler). The cost of the tour was $55 per person. The website for Beach Bums is here, tell them you heard about them on my blog and I am sure Captain Scott and the Beach Bums gang will throw in a free paddle and life vest with your kayak!
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