The Hunt for Scallops

Wesley Chapel, Florida

We got up about 5:30 am, had a few cups of coffee, and were out the door by 7:30. 

It was already 80 degrees when we left the house, so we knew it was going to be a hot day….for everyone else, but us.  We were going to be out on the water! 

We stopped by and reminded the campground office that we were going to be gone all day and were concerned about another power outage.  They assured us that someone would check the coach several times.  I gave them my phone number….just in case.  I reminded them we had kitties inside.

We had about an hour drive north to Homosassa, Florida.  Our friends, Skip and Terry have a beautiful vacation house right on the Homosassa River.  They aren’t far from the head springs where the crystal clear water flows into the river at the rate of 64 million gallons per day.

They have two boats that the are kept up, and out of the water on davits inside the boat house.  When they want to use the boat, they just push a button to lower it into the water.  What a great system.

Here is the boat we used today.  I think it was about a 22 footer.  Plenty roomy enough for the four of us and all our stuff.

They also have a pontoon boat that is better for river travels.  We had hoped to get a chance to cruise the river, but there was so much boat traffic on the river, that it wasn’t a great time for a pontoon boat.  It’s also kept high and dry on davits.

We loaded all of our stuff into the boat and headed down the river.  It was a about a 3-4 mile trip from their house to the Gulf of Mexico, and then another 6-8 miles north in the Gulf,  up to Crystal River.

They had been very successful in this area the past few days.

Terry and I sat up front in the shade from the bimini top.  There were a lot of boats on the water and it was choppy at times, but Skips boat went right over those waves and it was a pretty smooth ride.  Al’s getting boat fever again, I’m afraid!  I am too, actually.

We went by this interesting house right at the end of the river, facing the gulf.  They rent it out by the week.  I’m sure It’s very expensive.

It had a wonderful huge weather vane.

We couldn’t believe how many boats there were.  They were everywhere!

We finally got in the vicinity we wanted.  We could tell it was a good spot because there were hundreds of boats in the area.  I’m not exaggerating.

That is Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant in the background. 

Lots of boats.

Scallops are found in grassy areas.  We were in about 3-4 feet of water, with a very grassy bottom.  I wished I could have taken some underwater pictures, but I didn’t bring my underwater camera with me.  

This is a picture that I borrowed from the internet.  It clearly shows the little blue eyes.   I felt kind of bad grabbing them with those blue eyes looking at me.

The scallops are just laying in the grass part way open like in the picture above.  You just reach down and get them.  They will try to get out of your ditty bag if you’re not careful. They move by just flapping around.   All you need are a mask, fins, and snorkel and you’re in business.

Here is a very wet Al posing with some of our catch.

Apparently, Skip picked a good spot because the scallops were plentiful and we had our two gallons per person limit in about an  hour and a half.

Terry lost her $40 snorkel, so we all went in and searched (unsuccessfully) for it.  That’s the price of scuba and snorkeling.  The ocean seems to claim a lot of gear.

We headed back towards their house for the unpleasant part of scalloping…….the cleaning process.

Terry pulled out the awning on their dock so we were in the shade. She made us margaritas and then set up cleaning stations for the three of us .  Skips job was to clean the boat.  I would have much rather cleaned the boat, let me tell you!

 

I didn’t ever quite get around to taking pictures of the cleaning process.  I had gooey fingers, most of the time. 

Terry showed us how to do it.  Those scallops are pretty yucky inside.  It looks kind of like a combination of guts and thick snot.  After I sort of gagged a big, Terry took pity on me and said she would remove the guts and then I could finish the cleaning of the scallop.  Okay….I can do this.  Now, how do I do it without touching the stuff?

She gave Al instructions on how to clean a scallop but after he murdered about a dozen, she fired him and he and Skip went to the dive shop to pick up a new snorkel for Terry.

Hey, don’t fire Al…he can learn….don’t leave me….

It was a slow process.  I guess you can’t say it was slow.  Terry was very fast, we just had a LOT of scallops….hundreds…I guess.    My back was hurting sitting there on a cooler cleaning.  Terry was a real trooper.  She was sitting on the dock on a towel, going to town and never complained once! 

Finally, Skip and Al got back and with Skips expert help we got to the end of the scallops.  yea…

We started with  two five gallon buckets almost full.

 

Here is what we ended up with.

We had such a wonderful day.   The weather was perfect.  The water was crystal clear and warm.  The scallops were plentiful.  Our hosts were wonderful and we were back on the water!  We left their place about 6:30 pm and got home about 12 hours after we left.   It was a long day.

We came home (carryout pizza in hand), tired and happy.  The a/c was running and the house was nice and cool.  We were both very tired and were in bed shortly.

Thank you Skip and Terry.  We had such a wonderful time!!!!!   I neglected to take a picture of our hosts.   I actually took a few of Terry but they weren’t flattering and I didn’t dare use them.

Interesting Wildlife Action Shots

Zephyrhills, Florida   (high 79, low 60)

We did a little exploring yesterday, or rather re-visiting some places we’ve been before. 

I got some interesting photos, I thought I’d share.

We went to Big Bend Power plant in Apollo Beach.

The power plant uses sea water which comes out very warm.  The warm water attracts Manatees in the winter months.

Many years ago the plant built a visitor center so that people could come to watch the manatee.  It has become extremely popular and we normally visit it every year.

Due to the unusually warm winter we’re having here in Florida, there weren't as many Manatee as usual.  I certainly didn’t get as good of photos as I have from the Florida springs.

There were lots of Tarpon swimming around under the boardwalk.

Lots of Mullet too.

Normally we’ve seen spotted leopard rays, but we didn’t see any this year.

However….we did see a dog that was left in a hot car. 

The windows and sunroof were down, but the dog was panting.  We notified a ranger there and by the time we drove back by, the owners were with the dog.  I don’t know what people are thinking.  It was 82 degrees yesterday and inside that car there was no breeze.  I know because I stuck my hand inside to feel how hot it was.

This is the second time we’ve seen this lately.  In the Keys we also reported a dog that was left in a car on a warm day.  If it’s 70 degrees outside, it’s too hot to leave a dog in a car.

When we reported the one in the Keys, we were told the dog would be removed from the car and taken into custody.  I assume they would break a window to remove the dog.  I wonder what the owners thought when they came out to find a broken window and a missing dog.  Sorry dog owners…but if you leave your dog in a hot car and I see it…I will report you.  There were signs all over the parking lot warning you not to leave valuables in your vehicle.  What is more valuable than your pet?

Okay…rant over….

I love this dead tree.

White Ibis

 

Osprey

 

I initially thought this was a pair of Osprey on their nest.  After watching a few minutes, they started calling and then a third Osprey came flying in.

 

He didn’t stay long.  I then assumed that this was a pair and one of them was a youngster they were raising.

I kept watching and snapping photos until this happened.

I guess I know what was going on now.

It was kind of interesting to be able to photograph.  Osprey porn!

Corkscrew Swamp–Naples, Florida

We’re currently in  Fort Myers, Florida

There is a lot to do in this area, and one thing we wanted to be sure to do was go back to the  Corkscrew Swamp.  It’s in Naples, which is about a 50 mile drive. The  cost is  $10 each, but it was well worth the drive and the money.  We’ll do it again.  No discounts.

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a 14,000 acre preserve located near Naples, Florida in the heart of the Western Everglades. It is home to the largest remaining stand of old growth Bald Cypress forest in North America. A 2.25 mile boardwalk trail, which winds its way through 4 native habitats, is open to the public 365 days a year.

The boardwalk is wheelchair accessible, and there were several wheel chairs available.  I assume they were free.  It’s a 2 .25 mile nature trail, but there is a shortcut for people unable to make the entire trip.

There is a gift shop and snack bar in the main building.  Here is a picture of a baby alligator in a little fish tank. 

The Audubon Society became involved in this property over 100 years ago to protect wading birds.

Back in those days, women wore hats with feathers for decoration.  The feathers of many birds were  sought for decorating their hats. Many birds nearly became extinct to decorate womens hats.  A group of smart men camped out here to protect the birds during nesting season, and that is how this the nature preserve came to be.

It was one of those perfect fall days in Florida, with the temperature in the low 70’s and low humidity.  There were enough clouds in the sky to make for some pretty pictures.

Corkscrew Swamp is a “wet prairie”.  Some times of the year, its wet and sometimes it’s mostly dry.  The summer rainy season has just ended, so yesterday, it was very wet.  They have a wonderful boardwalk trail that is 2.25 miles long!

At the start of the boardwalk trail is a sign that lists some of the things you might see and wildlife that has been seen on that particular day.

I was surprised to learn that a Painted Bunting had been spotted.  It’s a beautiful red, green and purple bird that I have only seen one time….at Corkscrew Swamp!

This is what they look like.  It is not my picture.  I never got close enough.

There is a birdfeeder hanging that attracts them to a particular spot. When we got there there, we met a guy named Eric.  He had one of those gigantic lenses on his camera and was obviously a bit more of a photographer than me!  He let me hold his camera to see how heavy it was.  Wow…it would have been tough to hike with that thing!  He has an interesting website where he shows his wonderful photographs.   You can visit it here.  You can purchase pictures and he also has some free training videos!  So if you’re like me and could use some help getting those perfect shots, this might be of some help.

While we were there waiting for the Bunting, Eric had some bird calls on his Droid phone.  Sure enough, in just a few minutes this Painted Bunting appeared.  This is my picture. 

You can barely tell what kind of a bird it is, but Eric confirmed it was a bunting!  It’s the best picture of one I’ve ever gotten (okay, the only one.)

 

There are volunteers that walk the trail all day to help visitors locate the wildlife and learn about the swamp.  They are a wealth of knowledge and if you hang around  one of them, you will learn a lot.

We spent most of the day walking with ranger Keith.  We learned so much more that if we had just walked by ourselves.

One thing he pointed out was a tree called a Strangler Fig.  You can see I the picture below the viney looking thing that appears to be strangling the tree.

We assumed that the vine was growing up the tree, but in fact the opposite is true.  The Strangler Fig Tree has some tasty berries that the birds love. They eat the berries the seeds are excreted and sometimes they will end up in the tops of a tree.  If the conditions are just right, the berries will grow into a new tree.  The roots go down, eventually ending up in the soil.  The actual tree is high up in a host tree, with the roots reaching down towards the soil.

The following picture shows the actual tree that is way up high in another tree.  It does not harm the host tree, at least here.  In it’s native habitat in the rain forest, it can sometimes shade the host tree too much and cause a problem there, but here in Florida the conditions are not quite right for that to happen.  It does not actually strangle the host tree.

The board walk trail was beautiful and you never knew what you were going to see next.

There were lots of flowers.

 

 

A Swamp Lily

Lots of butterflies

a black racer snake

It’s a beautiful boardwalk.

There were quite a few places to sit and rest and just enjoy the view.

The scenery changes often

Here is an interesting little spider.  It’s called an Okeefenokee Spider.  It was on a tree, right at the water level.  It feeds on small minnows and doesn’t spin a web.

The next picture is the eggs of an Apple snail. 

Along the boardwalk you’ll find hand written signs pointing out different things.  The volunteers spot things and then help you to see them.

The following picture is the nest of a Brazilian Skipper (type of butterfly/moth). It cuts the leaf, and folds it on top of itself.

Towards the end there were two spotting scopes set up for you to look through…and no, you didn’t have to deposit a quarter.

Here is what we saw through the scopes.  Notice the two small gators?  Those are some of her babies.  They take care of them for over a year.

Corkscrew swamp is a major nesting area for Wood Storks.  We didn’t see any there yesterday.

They did not nest last year because there last year because it was too wet.  If it’s too wet,  the food sources are spread out too far for them to raise their families.  I guess they figure, if they can’t afford to take care of their children, they won’t have them.

We had a wonderful day at Corkscrew Swamp and ended up being there 4 hours.  We went back to the Painted Bunting area a few times, but never did see another bunting.

 

 

Have you ever bathed in used water?  They pointed out that all the water on earth is constantly being recycled.  Interesting though, isn’t it?

We sure enjoyed our time at Corkscrew Swamp and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in nature.  If you hook up with a volunteer, you’ll get so much more out of it.

Today, is errand day, but we have visitors coming.  More on that later!