Kayaking is for me a way to relax, exercise & commune with nature. I am blessed with being a native Floridian, living on the Gulf coast & being able to kayak pretty much year round.
In the Tampa Bay area are number of parks, wildlife areas, etc. that provide some of the best coastal kayaking anywhere. Recently I was invited to join several of my friends on a day trip in the mangrove tunnels of Cockroach Bay.
Cockroach Bay is located in southern Hillsborough County near Tampa. It is a tract of land that is wildlife, wetlands preserve. It has been a source of great inshore fishing all of my life. It abounds with mangrove covered islets, islands coast line, oyster bars & a huge variety of Florida seabirds, wildlife such as manatee, nutria, dolphin, as well as game fish such as red fish, sea trout, mangrove snapper, etc.
My day-trip began at 6am when they picked me up. We traveled to the launch site, put in & thus began our day. As we quietly paddled across the water we saw a large number of brown pelicans gliding along reminding of C-130 aircraft. Gulls of several types were in evidence as were several large blue herons, snowy egrets & of course sand pipers. We saw millions of fiddler crabs on the mud/sand as the tide was on the ebb. As we crossed one deeper channel I heard the whisper of a dolphin blowing & turned to see several working their way up the channel most probably seeking a school of mullet to breakfast upon.
As I paddled across a grass flat I startled a large sting ray & shook up several sea trout. We took a break for some iced tea & beef jerky about 9am sitting in our yaks as we drifted in the lee of a large islet. We headed back for the launch point, racked the yaks on the cars & headed for lunch at Kazbor’s in Riverview, just north of us on U.S. Hwy. 301.
Following lunch we went over to Gibsonton, at the mouth of the Alafia River (pronounced Alafi not Alafiyah), on U.S. Hwy. 41 and launched at the old Giant’s Camp boat ramp. We paddled past the largest phosphate production plant in the world & headed back into Tampa Bay. Turning south we paddled for about 23/4 of a mile & entered the mangrove tunnels of the estuary of the Alafia River. This area abounds with flats, oyster bars, islets & islands also abound with the same sort of fauna we had seen earlier in the day. A breeze was developing but it di not hnder us in any way.
As we traversed the area I saw a number of large blue crabs in the water along the edge of the oyster bars. I paddled across a large horseshoe crab and spooked a large snook as it was drowsing under a mangrove overhang.
About 3pm we headed back to the ramp, loaded the yaks, went back to Kazbor’s for a well deserved snack & beverage. I was a bit sun-baked but intact, feeling good & wanting to do another day on the salt in my yak.
All day I had a desire to fish but not having my tackle with me precluded such action. I know where I will return soon to do so!
If you want to have some fun, get some exercise & enjoy nature come on & try my mangrove tunnels!
Copyright © 2007 - 2009 Donald R Houston, PhD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.
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