We didn’t have far to go yesterday, so we started the morning with breakfast in town at a cute little bakery. We even got a bit of breeze (and by a bit I only mean 5-10kts mostly on the nose), and the Indian River was deep enough outside the ICW channel that we were able to raise the sails and shut down the engine for a while. Granted, in the two hours we sailed, we didn’t get all that far, but I loved the peace of gliding along – even at the occasional less-than-three-knots.
Chris had researched anchorages and found what sounded to be the perfect spot off a little spoil island. The spoil islands throughout the area were created by the material removed during the dredging of the ICW canal. The islands are sovereign, meaning they belong to the state of Florida rather than the local town and therefore cannot be sold for development. Many islands are open for recreational use, but some are designated as wildlife preserve.
We pulled off the ICW at the noted spot and dropped anchor in the lee of the island. Shortly after, Chris mentioned the odd behavior of what he thought to be dolphins… and it turned out they were manatees!
I had hoped to see just one manatee on this trip, and now we were surrounded by at least a dozen, if not more. We watched for over an hour as they poked their heads above the surface to breathe with an emphatic “huff” and slowly sink back down. As we were standing up forward, one surfaced no more than a foot from the bow and submerged, slowly resurfacing along our anchor chain and hanging out there for a moment before giving us a flick of its tail and disappearing. Words can’t describe how absolutely incredible of an experience that was – I was honestly near tears. I’d seen manatees relatively close on a tour in Belize, but this was completely different. To be aboard my own boat, no schedule, no rush, and no expectation of having an encounter like that made it all that much more special. I had been looking forward to exploring the island a little, but that could wait for morning.
The manatees were still all around us this morning, so we rowed in to explore the island. It felt good to stick our feet in the water, even though the shore was rough with sharp shells. The island is a rookery and smelled accordingly, but it was the perfect spot to have our morning coffee regardless. We saw a bunch of black vultures and great blues, and as we were standing at the water’s edge, a young stingray glided by. We decided to row around the island on the way back to Silent Sky, and we got to watch a dolphin chase fish into the shallows near the island as it fed.
While we were here for less than 24 hours, this was one of the spots that drove home just how special this thing we’re doing is, and moments like this completely defy any attempt at description.
One reply on “Spoiled”
Wow!! That’s so incredible and very special, indeed.