It Pays To Have Friends With Connections

 Anyone who knows us knows we are addicted not only to travel but to Pickleball as well. We meet the nicest people playing at home and in Florida during the winter months. One of our fellow Florida players is married to a boat captain who does tours with his six passenger pontoon boat. We followed our Until-Next-Year lunch with a cruise on his boat. It was so much fun as well as informative. A whole new perspective on Key Largo from the water. 

Captain Larry picked us up from Senor Frijoles after lunch and took us out and across Blackwater Sound to a protected area of mangroves. We went through a channel that is part of the Intercoastal Waterway and then into a smaller channel that led to a small lake in the middle of the mangroves that are actually a part of the Everglades. Captain Larry has a special permit to go into the area with his charters. 

Mangroves are an important part of the eco-system. They reduce erosion, protect water quality, provide a nursery habitat for marine life and provide shelter and nesting areas for a variety of other birds and animals. Their roots that go down into the water make them look like they are standing on stilts. 

Along the way we saw a variety of birds including some really pretty herons and an iguana out for a swim. It was interesting to learn that the channel is where they anchor boats when a hurricane approaches. When Irma came through, the water was blown out of the Bay and the boats rested on the bottom but the mangroves protected them from damage. 

Since all of us onboard new what a manatee looked like, he didn't spend time trying to track one down. We did take a peek at the dolphin pens by the Dolphins Plus at MM102. 

Captain Larry was informative and kept us all chuckling with his humor as well. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time with wonderful friends from our Pickleball group. If you happen to be in Key Largo and are looking for a little relaxing and enjoyable time on the water, you might want to look him up. He does morning tours and some sunset cruises as well. 

Exploring The Night

Several years ago Bob bought a very bright flashlight that we bring with us to Florida each year in order to explore the nighttime waters around our shoreline and dock area. We've found lots of interesting things (besides the glow worms after the full moon). We've also gained the name of "the night watchmen" from our friends here.

A few times we've seen the small neighborhood nurse shark out foraging in the rocky areas for an unsuspecting fish or the leftovers of someone's catch of the day that they've cleaned and tossed the extra into the water. There have been lobster and some shrimp with beady eyes (Bob's favorite find).

One year we saw lots of horseshoe crabs in the shallows. Ant my favorite, the dolphin who had a feeding frenzy among the mullets that make their home around our dock.

This year we haven't found quite so much although we did hear a manatee's heavy breathing one night and saw its snout above the water. Our good find recently was this crab out in the sandy bottom looking for a midnight snack.

We have a few more nights to explore and we've just had a full moon. Who knows what we might find?

What Happens After A Full Moon In Florida Bay?

Each time there is a full moon while we are in Florida we spend the next three or four nights going out for the light show in the waters of the Florida Bay. I've posted several times about this phenomena of nature and I will give the particulars a little later in this post but I did get a couple of good photos this time on my phone. Unfortunately, when I picked my camera up this last time, the battery was too low and I had to give up.

Here's the story behind the little critters that light up in the water after the full moon:

The first time we saw this phenomenon during our stay in Key Largo  was in January as we were walking in the evening after dark and I noticed something that looked shiny in the water. I thought it was a reflection of something or a piece of foil in the water. It went out and then returned a few minutes later and I realized that between a few strands of floating sea grass there was a small worm-like creature wiggling and glowing a bright green. 

Curiosity aroused, I began asking around about the glowing worm and no one seemed to know what it was. In the Bahamas some years back, we saw glowing jelly fish in the water but this was not a jelly fish. It was definitely a worm or very thin fish.

As time went on, we didn't see any more. Then someone else began asking about the glowing worms in the water. At least I knew now I wasn't the only who had seen them but when we returned to look again at dark we found nothing.

Finally one of our new friends found a link to a study about Bermuda fire worms. The description fit what we had seen. It said that the glowing, or bio luminescence, had to do with the mating that took place every month just after the full moon. When we discovered the date of the next full moon, there was quite a group of us gathered on the dock to see the fire worms.

The peek time is three days after the full moon and 57 minutes after the sun has set. The female rises to the surface and emits a bright green mucus that attracts the male who also emits a glowing mucus. The mucus apparently contains the cells necessary for reproduction. The phenomenon lasts only about thirty minutes and then the worms disappear again. 

On the peek night in March, the waters were calm and we could see little worms lighting up all over the place--sort of like the fireflies of summer at home.

Snow Moon In South Florida?

This is not the picture of the full moon I hoped to get this past weekend. Believe it or not we had three days in a row of cloudy weather when the moon was expected to be full. So I settled for the almost full moon picture I took on Thursday.

I was a bit disappointed. After all this was supposed to be one of those spectacular moons, the snow moon, as it is called. Yes, even in Florida it is labeled a snow moon. Maybe that's to remind all of us snowbirds of what we left behind up north. Of course the three gray days almost had me wondering if I'd returned home somehow--wondering that is until I opened the door and felt the warm air. I was relieved and by Monday, the sun was shining again.

Of course now that we've had the full moon, we will be looking for those bioluminescent little worms that pop up after the sunset for the next couple of days. I love the wonder that God has created.

Manatees Ho!

After quite a Friday night of lightening, thunder and rain, I woke early to a very calm Bay with the wispy sky of dawn displaying a pink and purple tinge that indicates the sun is rising oceanside behind me. I love these kind of mornings especially when I am blessed to glimpse some of the busyness of nature in front of me.

As I was reading, I caught movement in the water out of the corner of my eye. At first I thought it was just some rogue waves from a passing boat of fishermen but a few moments later I realized what it really was that caught my eye. Manatees!

We usually see them in passing as they go by our dock area in search of greener areas of grassy seaweed. They survive in brackish water by managing to find fresh water springs that feed into the saltier water. Here's a link to another post I did a few years ago about manatees and one that actually played with our kayak.

It was a bit of a blue/gray morning with rain expected to return but I decided to go down on the dock and sit and watch as the manatees spent their morning feeding. It was very relaxing. I could hear them exhale as they surfaced to take another breath and then disappear again. I would see a nose and sometimes a head pop up. I finally counted five different ones when they all surfaced almost together. I think one may have been a little one.

When rain threatened, I headed back inside, thankful for my peaceful morning encounter.

Where The Dolphins Play

The Florida Bay is where the real dolphins play--and not with a football. The other day we were standing on our lanai and looking out at the kayak/paddle board traffic when all of a sudden we realized they were all stopped. All around them the water was churning. We watched with fascination.

There must have been a half a dozen dolphins either feeding or playing with the pelicans. The dolphins would swim to one spot and the pelicans would scramble to catch up hoping that the dolphins would scare up some easy catches for them. Just about the time the pelicans would settle, the dolphins would swim back to another spot and the ever hopeful pelicans would take to the air again.

The whole scenario played out for a good twenty minutes but by the time I was able to get to the dock to take video the fun had moved further down the shoreline and I think the pelicans were worn out. They didn't seem to be catching up to the speedy dolphins.

While I didn't get this activity recorded, last year I caught the dolphins playing with their food. We watched on keep tossing his fish and catching it again. Here's that video.

A New Day Dawns

The condo we rent for the winter season faces west to the Florida Bay. I love getting up early enough to watch the sunrise. Yes, in the west--sort of.

You see, even though I'm looking west, the changes as the sun begins to light up the new day are amazing. This particular morning the sky looked a bit dark gray with some large clouds hovering over the water.

As I watched, the water suddenly turned a pinkish color. The gray of the clouds lightened as the water became a bit more pink. Clouds tinged with pink just before beginning to turn to their fluffy white color.

Suddenly the sky began to take on the beautiful blue sky color to frame the clouds that now had no gray color but were a bit tinged with yellow from the sun that I was sure was rising behind me to the east.

No one paints a morning sky like a God who attends to every detail. As a new day dawns, a new year begins. And I am convinced that God will continue to be in every detail.

Sparkling Holiday Gems of Florida Bay

According to the calendar, the full moon was on December 22 this year. We waited until Christmas Day evening to look for the little worms in the water that light up like green fluorescent dots in the water of the Florida Bay. There were a couple but not nearly as many as we'd seen in the past. The timing was supposedly right according to the research we'd done and the experience we'd had in years past but this year the waters of the bay didn't light up like a sparkling holiday light display until five days after the full moon instead of three. We were surprisingly rewarded on the 27th as we took our nightly walk down to the dock in front of our condo. They were dotting the waters as far as we could see.

Here is the post from a couple of years ago that explains the phenomena:

The first time we saw this phenomenon during our stay in Key Largo  was in January as we were walking in the evening after dark and I noticed something that looked shiny in the water. I thought it was a reflection of something or a piece of foil in the water. It went out and then returned a few minutes later and I realized that between a few strands of floating sea grass there was a small worm-like creature wiggling and glowing a bright green. 

Curiosity aroused, I began asking around about the glowing worm and no one seemed to know what it was. In the Bahamas some years back, we saw glowing jelly fish in the water but this was not a jelly fish. It was definitely a worm or very thin fish.

As time went on, we didn't see any more. Then someone else began asking about the glowing worms in the water. At least I knew now I wasn't the only who had seen them but when we returned to look again at dark we found nothing.

Finally one of our new friends found a link to a study about Bermuda fire worms. The description fit what we had seen. It said that the glowing, or bio luminescence, had to do with the mating that took place every month just after the full moon. When we discovered the date of the next full moon, there was quite a group of us gathered on the dock to see the fire worms.

The peek time is three days after the full moon and 57 minutes after the sun has set. The female rises to the surface and emits a bright green mucus that attracts the male who also emits a glowing mucus. The mucus apparently contains the cells necessary for reproduction. The phenomenon lasts only about thirty minutes and then the worms disappear again. 

On the peek night in March, the waters were calm and we could see little worms lighting up all over the place--sort of like the fireflies of summer at home.

Dolphin Mania!

Each night about fifteen minutes before sunset people at our condominium gather together to watch the sunset. It's a great way to make new friends, catch up with others, share how the day went and often where the best places to eat are.

Lately the sunsets have not been the greatest since there have been several fronts that have moved in at the wrong time. (Not complaining. No snowy Nor'easters) Sunday night was another bust as a wall of clouds covered the sunset and all we got were gray skies. There was however a lot of entertainment.

A pod of dolphins (we think there were five) were spotted. A couple of them were coming close to shore and I went out on the dock to get a closer look. I tried taking a couple of stills but couldn't catch the dolphins surfacing. Guess my finger just isn't quick enough on the trigger and it was hard to tell where they would come up next.

So after several misses, I decided to video the action. Was I glad I did! We were entertained by a dolphin who'd caught his dinner but instead of eating it was tossing it in the air, catching it, swimming in a circle then repeating the whole thing.

I think I could have labeled this "Stop playing with your food!" I left the sound on the video because I think it's neat to hear how excited and in awe we all were.

Fire Worms of Florida Bay

About three days after the full moon the waters of the Florida Bay sparkle about an hour after sunset. It's the time for love if you're a fire worm. These little creatures live in the warm waters of the Florida Bay and create a beautiful phenomenon that is fascinating to watch.

There is a dance as each fire worm lights up and sperm is released for their procreation. If you would like to learn more, check out my blog post, Fireflies of the Florida Bay Waters.

Next full moon is March 12 and is called the Full Worm Moon. Three nights later, we'll be on the dock in front of our condo watching the fire dances and enjoying this wonderful bit of nature before we have to return home.

The Crocodile Hunters

The Florida Bay was calmer than we'd seen in a long time. The winds this year have been mostly out of the North and Northwest which makes it a bit choppy and chilly with the cooler temps. But this day was almost perfect--sunny, calm seas and we were feeling ambitious. Bob hoisted our inflatable kayak on his shoulder and we maneuvered the stairs from our second floor condo and made it down to the water.

With a plop the kayak went into the water and we gently and carefully fit our bottoms into the seats. Congratulating ourselves on yet another boarding without upsetting the kayak and landing in the water we set out. There was still a slight breeze out of the south but we headed north anyway even though the return trip would mean a little extra energy on the paddles. We liked the route which would take us past several patches of mangroves that usually held iguanas especially on a sunny day and then into a marina where there were almost always manatees to be seen and played with.

We were not disappointed. A huge colorful iguana was perched in a mangrove sunning himself and wasn't bothered by us coming near for a picture. I'm guessing he didn't want to give up his spot in the sun. He'd been waiting a few days for a chance to warm his leathery hide.

Inside the marina we spotted a single manatee and then three together. The single looked like a young one by his size and seemed to be hanging at the surface perhaps like the iguana, enjoying the sun. I was amazed at how long he held his breath when submerged. We waited long periods for him to surface. The other three were in an a couple of empty slips in the marina and we paddled around watching them. A friend arrived with his daughter and son-in-law and we gave our space to them since this was the first time his daughter had seen the manatees close up.

Outside the marina, Bob said, "Let's head right and into the canal." I knew what he wanted. The great crocodile hunter wanted to see if he could spot the crocodile that was gaining quite a reputation. A couple of years ago we had seen a large one back there that at first we thought was a statue. Turns out it wasn't. This year's croc though is much smaller in size.

Sure enough we found him sunning himself on the shore and we eased the kayak closer for some good shots. He seemed to be sleeping but I'm sure there was a little slit in those eyelids keeping on eye on us. And yes, the thought that we were in an inflatable boat and the crocodile has teeth did cross my mind--several times.

We got our pictures without disturbing him and paddled away all the while keeping an eye out. After all, if there was a little crocodile there had to be a Momma around somewhere and Momma would be a whole lot bigger with a whole lot more teeth.

I exhaled with relief once we were back out in the Bay. We began our paddling toward home cutting across open water a bit to shorten the trip. As we got nearer to shore we were startled by a huge school of what I think was snapper. They were leaping out of the water and running for their life. The pelicans were having a feast with them as it continued for a couple of minutes and they must have traveled a couple hundred feet.

The question came to mind: What's chasing them?

I paddled a little harder.