Today we travelled over ten hours, most of which was down the "ditch" the dug channel of the ICW. There were long, straight stretches, and it was cloudy and overcast, raining in the afternoon.
I've heard folks say the waterway is boring. I don't understand that. Every day is different. There are eagles.
The ever present ospreys.
We passed through Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Ormond Beach, and Daytona Beach, with its interesting murals on the bridge.
We passed Ponce Inlet, and a spot we'd anchored on the way up.
We passed New Smyrna Beach, and the pelican island.
To me, the two most interesting portions of the trip were due to wildlife! From about mm 855 to mm 860, we saw over 20 manatees! There is a minimum wake sign warning of the presence of manatee, but, like so much of Florida, I didn't figure on seeing many. I don't know if the manatee normally congregate in the area this time of year, but, we idled for miles, watching, and pointing, enjoying seeing all the big sea cows!
The second really great spot was the top end of Mosquito Lagoon. In two miles, within 200 feet on either side of the channel, I'd seen ten manatee, over a dozen atlantic bottlenose dolphins, and one HUGE alligator. No, there are no photos. I was looking through the binoculars trying to figure out what I was seeing, when I realized that it was an alligator. I couldn't believe how close to the channel he was.
I always enjoy passing through the Haulover Canal...
We pulled into Titusville Municipal Marina about 1740, rather than anchor with a warm front stalling and colliding with a cold front, that sure enough, produced lightning, wind, and rain for much of the evening.
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