Little Shark River to Russel Pass

2/7/13

In the morning, we loaded Rudy, Lila, Gracey, and their gear into the Whaler for a meandering cruise to Flamingo. I think we had seen 33 different bird species in the past 48 hours, and I refused to count sea gulls, or any birds smaller than banded kingfishers!

Enroute, we picked up a couple in a small canoe-type boat with a couple that were paddling for all they were worth, making little headway against the wind and current, with an outboard kicked up like they were broken down. (They were) We put the couple on the Whaler and towed their craft while we discovered they were neighbors of ours from Middle Torch Key! Small world.

We dropped them off at the entrance to the Buttonwood Canal, where there was no wind or current.

Rudy, Lila, and I said our farewells, and I returned to the MERCY, stopping a couple of times enroute.  Once, to watch this osprey eating a live fish, and once to watch dolphins.  Then I weighed anchor, and departed out the Little Shark River, bound for Russell Pass in the Ten Thousand Islands.

Offshore of Little Shark Island about a mile, the boat was suddenly covered by swarms of no-see-ums. I franticly closed all the doors and windows, since they come through the screens, and ran the generator and the air conditioner for the next couple of hours!

I ran into Russell Pass after dark, and anchored up, always glad for that nice anchorage that is so easy to get into. There were four sailboats already in there, but no trawlers.