On our last full day here in Cedar Key, we were treated to a boat tour with Cindy & Pat's friends Heath & Jolie.
We headed out on the water around 3:30.
Soon, we were watching a Bald Eagle stalking fish.
Then we watched it catch a fish. :)
Cool.
Shortly thereafter, we came upon a large flock of White Pelicans.
A few started flying as we eased in closer.
When we got a little too close, most of them took off, but they didn't go far. Here's a short video clip.
We left the pelicans and intended to go up the Waccasassa River between Cedar Key and Yankeetown. Unfortunately, the strong south winds made it too choppy for a comfortable ride across the open water, and we bailed on that idea.
So we puttered around and made a few stops on some of the area islands.
Here's a dead tree photo for my collection. :)
Heath narrated and provided some history including information about Civil War sites.
The girls had started a game of "Name That Tune" and were humming every song they could think of .... when they weren't laughing too much. :)
I bushwhacked a little bit and tried to track down an armadillo without success. Here is a shot from the back of the island where the wind was blocked and the water gently meandered through the marsh.
On the way to the next stop, Linda was amused by the way my windshirt had "puffed up", so she got a little video. :)
Next, we stopped for a snack on a key with a large oyster shell beach.
This beach was loaded with Horseshoe Crabs.
I picked one up for display.
Though they are athropods which includes crabs and lobsters, they aren't really a crab. They are more related to spiders and scorpions.
Often you can find their shells along beaches. They shed their shells (molt) and re-grow them as they get larger.
There were a lot of mating Horseshoe Crabs on this beach.
It was fascinating to watch. The smaller males attach themselves to the larger females. The females then bury themselves in the sand creating shallow nests where they lay their egss. Then they drag the males over the nest where they fertilize the eggs.
We caught the process on video as a female extracted herself from the sand and drug the male over the nest.
Sometimes the waves coming in flip both "crabs". If they can't get turned upright, they can die.
Jolie was our crab rescuer today. She flipped several back onto their feet. :)
We were all quite interested in the spectacle.
After several minutes there, we re-boarded the boat and went in search of more adventures.
Since the tide was high and a particular grounded boat was moving a little bit in the waves, Heath and Pat decided to try to tow it off its sand bar. This little impromptu project made Linda, Ms. Safety, very uncomfortable. :)
Heath, who hasn't known us long, asked "Howard, are you allowed to be involved in this?" Very perceptive guy. :)
We all moved to the front of the boat and Linda had the video going just in case something .... uh, extraordinary .... happened. :)
The rope was pulled tight and Heath throttled up.
But the sailboat didn't budge. Linda breathed and that mission was aborted. I have a feeling those boys will be back out there the next time there is another really high tide. :)
From there, we rode around Atsena Otie Key.
The Brown Pelicans were feeding on schools of bait fish.
As we made our way around the island, we saw eagle and osprey nests and various other birds. As we came around the west side and the dock/pier, there was a Bald Eagle sitting on the dock. I wasn't quick enough to get a good shot when it flew, so this blurry one will have to do. :)
As the sun went down, the air cooled and the waves were picking up.
We had been out on the water about four hours by then, so it was time to head in.
But not before Linda broke out this mouse voice she does. She had everyone laughing giving me this classic shot of her and Cindy.
Priceless. :)
We made it back to the dock safely. What a great time. We thanked Heath, and I invited them to join us for dinner. They couldn't come, so we said our "Nice to meet yous" and "Goodbyes".
Before heading home, we went back to the Island Room and had one last dinner with Pat & Cindy. Another delicious meal and an opportunity to thank them for having us here, showing us around, and introducing us to some very nice folks.
Getting to know the locals and the culture made this time in Cedar Key much better than when we had our first impression back in January as "tourists". We had a great time here, and we'll be back to see our friends whenever we are in the area .... at least as long as they may be here.
If you like your travels laid back with local flavor and without fast food chains, come and visit Pat & Cindy at the Low-Key Hideaway. They'll take good care of you. :)
Breathtaking bird photos Howard!
Vee
Posted by: V4Vagabond | Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 11:34 AM
WOW Howard what a great day. Really enjoyed your pictures and descriptions. We had thought we would not go back to Cedar Key after our first visit there but Low Key Hideaway is definitely on our radar now and we'll give Cedar Key another try thanks to you.
See you soon
Sherry
www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com
Posted by: Sherry | Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 03:00 PM
Wow! Your last day in Cedar Key was awesome! It is great that Heath and Jolie offered a private boat tour. Owning a private boat surely has its advantage; you can go wherever you want to go. Anyway, I like the photo of the pelican; it’s a good thing that you have a private boat, so that you were able to go near them.
Posted by: Ava Venson | Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 02:40 PM