Manatees!, 1/07/2019

When there is a cold snap in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to head out to the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. A state and federal manatee sanctuary, it provides safe haven for these protected marine mammals. 

When the Tampa Bay is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, manatees seek warmer waters. The clean, warm water reservoir of Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station is one of the places where you can see these gentle creatures.

The observation platforms were full of people enjoying the view of hundreds of manatees on the day we visited. 

Occasionally, you can catch a glimpse of a manatee coming up for air (they can remain submerged for 20 minutes) or their tail if you look closely. A calf is 3-4’ long and weigh 60-75 pounds at birth. 

The environmental center (next to the gift shop) provides interesting information about manatees, their environment, and threats (primarily boats) to their existence. Approximately 80% of them have scars from boat motors and many are killed by them. Genetically, the closest living relatives to the manatee are the aardvark, hydrax and elephant. 

Beneath the observation platform is a tank with rays where visitors can touch their “wings” as they swim around the tank. I always enjoy feeling their “velvety” skin! Nearby is the 900' tidal walkway that passes through a mangrove forest. 

The boardwalk continues along the shoreline towards the Tampa Bay.

There is also a self-guided nature trail at the Center, but pets are not allowed so we skipped it. For additional information about the Manatee Viewing Center, go to www.tampaelectric.com/company/mvc.

Instead we drove to the nearby Apollo Beach Nature Preserve, a two-acre stretch of land that does permit leashed pets.

This is a popular fishing spot and we saw families enjoying the calm waters of the bay. 

This area is well worth a visit, especially when lots of manatees can be seen near the power plant. 

Hiking at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park, 1/01/2019

As we begin our 5^thyear of full-time RV life, we wanted to spend the first day of 2019 enjoying nature. About 25 miles from our rv park in Lutz, FL, is Werner-Boyce Salt Springs, another beautiful Florida state park along the Gulf of Mexico. The main entrance is at 8737 US 19, Port Richey, FL 34668. Our map app took us to the wrong location, so use this address if you are not familiar with the area.

Popular activities at the park in addition to hiking include fishing, paddling, and paddling. 

Paddling Adventures rents kayaks and paddleboards, but you can, of course, bring your own. One of the kayak launches (into the pristine salt march) is located nearby. 

Mullet fishing in the bayou waters of the park was very popular from the 1920s to the 1980s. Net regulations changed the mullet industry in 1994. An exhibit of a 25’ mullet skiff and signage about the industry were interesting. Across the parking lot are the restrooms and observation deck. 

Following signs to the Nature Trail, we set out to hike the Springs Trail. Crossing beautiful Cauldron Spring, nearby is the Little Free Library and the Toilet Bowl Spring picnic area. What a strange name, but the water did swirl around a bit!

The trail continued along the spring until we came to the Bird Viewing Stand. Kayakers could be seen in the distance and several ibises were nearby. 

In the distance we saw Salt Spring for which the park is named. 

Even close up, Salt Spring looks pretty small, but it is a shocking 361’ deep! Upstream a short distance is the Tidal Waterfall. We were expecting to see a waterfall, and it can be much more pronounced depending on the tides of the Gulf of Mexico, but at the time of day we were there it was just a ripple (as shown in the second photo).

Educational exhibits provide insight into the Civil War era salt works here and how salt was made from the salt springs in the park. When settlers came to the area in th early 1800s, they noticed that their cattle preferred some springs over others (the ones with salt). Settlers subsequently learned to extract the salt for their own use.

As with most state parks, this one is dog-friendly except for the boardwalk near the Gulf of Mexico. Our sweet doggie, Sadie, loved the trails but was disappointed that she did not get to go swimming. The park has about 4 miles of mangrove-lined coastal shores with no sandy beaches of swimming areas. 

Because it was such a hot day here in the Tampa Bay area, we decided to make a return trip to hike trails in other parts of the park. Admission is only $3/vehicle (we have our Annual Pass to FL State Parks). There is lots more to see here. 

For additional information about the park, go to www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/werner-boyce-salt-springs-state-park.