We launched the canoe at parking area 7, which is on the one-way Eldora Statehouse loop. You can also launch from the boat launch area just inside the park, but you must park across the street. Area 7 is a great place to start if you are just paddling the lagoon. We spent about 4 hours on the water, and saw a group of Manatees within a few feet of the canoe, and a dolphin fairly close by. It took a little while getting used to all of the small fish jumping in the water around us. We also saw a group of 9 or 10 great blue herons that were together - we usually see these in pairs. There were also several pelicans around, including one fishing nearby for quite a while. We saw numerous other species of birds as well.
The park rangers here are generally very helpful. We originally thought about paddling the Shipyard Island Canoe Trail today, but the ranger let us know that the bugs are still very bad right now, and that trail would better paddled later in the fall. Hopefully we will write about that trip in a few months!
After exploring the lagoon a bit, we went for a walk on the beach. We had never been to the southern end of Apollo Beach, and today there were open parking spaces (be careful here to only park in designated spaces, which are limited!). There was a pretty strong surf today, and the beach was nice as always. Be advised that this is a very primitive beach (one of ten seashores in the country protected by the National Park Service) The sand is a bit soft when walking, and the dark sand can really stick to your feet - there are no showers, running water, etc. in the parking areas, and the restrooms are basically port-a-jons in permanent structures. Also, if you are taking a wheeled cart, be sure to ask the ranger at the entrance which lots are open and have ramp access - not all of the 5 parking areas have ramps.
One interesting thing we learned today - a few hundred feet south of the southern-most parking area (Lot 5) is "unofficially" designated as a nude beach. It was a bit of an awkward situation for us, but we trudged on as far as the park allows without a back country permit. After searching for this on the internet, we must be among the few who don't know about this being a nude sunbathing area. Just be aware if you are taking children to this beach - frankly, some of these sights aren't for the faint of heart!! : )
Here are a few pictures from the canoe today:
Manatee in the Lagoon
As you can see, the Manatees were very active today
Hard to tell - but this is a pelican diving for a fish.
Our canoe
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