Kayaking The Indian River Lagoonby
The Indian River Lagoon System is a waterway of national significance providing a home to more than 4,300 kinds of plants and animals. This includes 36 in endangered or threatened species. The diversity is especially rich for the species fish. There are over 700 species of fish found in the IRL with a unique mix of temperate and tropical climate species. The IRL also contains 20 percent of the mangrove forests remaining in the United States. The FlatsIf one were to give characterize the Indian River Lagoon by any one particular attribute it would be shallowness. Most of the IRL consists of vast shallows known as flats. It is in these flats that the primary biological richness of the lagoon exists. The flats are usually covered in sea grass in fact many times the term grass flat is often used to describe these shallows. The functions of the sea grass in the ecology of the IRL are many and important. Among other things sea grass provides food and shelter for many marine species as well as helping to maintain water clarity and control erosion. In fact, the importance of the IRL grass flats is shown in the following statistic: almost all of Florida’s commercially important species spend part of their lives in the grass flats of the lagoon. Finally, the abundance or lack of sea grass can be used as a barometer of the health of a part of the IRL. Developed areas of the lagoon can be almost entirely devoid of sea grass. The reasons for this lack of sea grass are primarily lack of water clarity due to excessive nutrients and sediments in runoff entering the lagoon
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What is Indian River Lagoon? Well, for
starters it is not a river at all but rather a very long narrow bay. The
Indian River has no current or headwaters and no rivers of any significance
empty into it. Geographically speaking the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) System
runs along forty percent of the East Coast of Florida. The Northern boundary
of the system is Ponce de Leon Inlet just south of Daytona Beach. The Southern
boundary of the system is 155 miles to the South near Palm Beach at Jupiter
Inlet. The Indian River is bounded on the East by a more or less continuous
barrier island. The existing Western edge is not as easily defined. In
places, the natural mangrove marshes extend some ways inland in other places
development has limited this or drained these marshes all together. Along
the lagoon’s entire north south length its width is typically 2 to 4 miles.
Finally, the Indian River Lagoon System consists of really three distinct
bodies of water (see map). The 1st is the Indian River itself
which runs continuously from just north of Titusville southward approximately
140 miles to Jupiter Inlet. The northern most part of the IRL is Mosquito
Lagoon which runs from Ponce de Leon Inlet southward 20 miles and ending
just north of the Space Shuttle Launch Complex. Haulover Canal an antebellum
construction completed around 1853 connects Mosquito Lagoon to the Indian
River. Lastly, there is the Banana River, which branches off from the Indian
River just south of Satellite Beach and runs northeastward for 25 miles
ending just south of the Space Shuttle Launch Complex
The Indian River offers opportunities for
kayaking such as eco-touring, snorkeling and fishing. The important thing
to decide is what you want to see and do. First, no matter what you decide
is your primary interest, remember that kayaking on the Indian River is
going to consist primarily of traversing
large areas of shallow water. The shallow water means there many opportunities
for getting out of the boat. The depth of the flats can be from inches
to several feet and the bottom may be anywhere from hard sand to very thin
sand with gelatinous mud underneath. So be aware that the depth of the
water may not be the only factor in determining how easy it is to get back
in your boat. Consider also that constantly getting in and out of a sit
inside kayak, can by the end of the day, leave a nice sampling of the bottom
of the lagoon in your cockpit. It is for the above reasons that I recommend
sit on top Kayaks for ease of egress at least on day trips
The
winter months are by and large more pleasant for most people. The winter
is also probably the best time to see manatees and bird life. The Manatees
tend to collect in warm water areas and are more easily viewed in numbers
than in the summer. The winter also brings a huge influx of migrant birds
swelling the already large number of year round species. I believe that
the Audobon winter species count for Brevard and Indian River counties
are consistently the highest in the U.S. Winter does however have one drawback:
cold. Yes, believe or not Florida does get cold in the winter. These cold
air intrusions usually last only a day or two. However, because the IRL
is so shallow even a short spell of cold temperatures will cool the water
considerably. This cooling has both good and bad effects for those wishing
to view the wildlife. The primary bad effect is that the rapid cooling
of the shallow water drives many temperature sensitive species to warmer
deeper water. The water temperature in the upper sixties to lower 70s also
makes entering the water uncomfortable for some. A good effect of colder
water temperatures is the concentrating of Manatees in warm water areas.
An example of this is the Florida Power electrical plant near Titusville.
During cold snaps scores of Manatees are consistently drawn to the warm
water discharge from the plant.
The
summer in the IRL is long hot and humid. The constant comment "it’s not
the heat but the humidity" is commonly heard from 1st time visitors.
For the Kayaker the summer months offer the opportunity to see the IRL
at its most biologically productive. During the summer fish literally team
in the shallows. Schools of mullet seem to take over the grass flats. The
mullet in fact can be used as an indicator of a grass flat since they swim
on the surface their presence is highly visible and usually and indication
of shallow water. Another species that is most plentiful in summer is the
Redfish. Redfish are one of the top predators of the flats and in the IRL
they grow very large, forty pound Redfish are common. It is an awesome
spectacle to see a school of these giants feeding on crabs in 3 feet of
water. The Redfish feed by what is known as "tailing" that is tilting their
heads down to the bottom to root out blue crabs. This type of feeding causes
their tails to protrude from the water. Schools of large Redfish tailing
may be spotted from several hundred yards away. It is probably obvious
from the above discussion that summer is also the best time for fishing.
Kayak fishing is an increasingly popular sport in Florida. In fact certain
areas of the IRL famous for their fishing are accessible only by kayak
or canoe.
Kayaking
in the summer months also means coping with heat. Because of the high humidity
sweating will not cool the body as effectively as in will in drier climates.
The point here is to not be fooled by the temperature alone. The heat index
temperature is what is important and in Florida this will typically be
much higher then the ambient air temperature. Finally, take all the water
you will need. Even though Florida is highly developed there are large
stretches Lagoon where no water is available on the shore. Specifically,
if you are planning on touring Mosquito Lagoon or the 
However,
the continued existence of the Manatee is a matter still much in doubt.
The manatee’s chief nemesis is the propeller of the recreational powerboat.
Most Manatees bear scars from their encounters with powerboats. The problem
for the future is Florida’s rapidly expanding human population. As the
population of Florida increases so will the number of powerboats and also
the number of Manatees killed or injured from their propellers. To save
the Manatee the stopgap solution has been to restrict boat speeds on more
and more of the IRL. This has finally led to certain areas being declared
off limits to motorized boats of any kind. Unfortunately, every new restriction
brings cries of foul from narrow-minded interests such as boat manufacturers,
fish camp owners and some powerboat owners. The battle over the Manatee’s
future continues…. Ultimately, the Manatee’s fate will be decided by how
much the people of Florida are willing to give up to provide for it’s continued
existence. I feel that education and experiencing the Manatee close up
is the key. Almost everyone that sees a Manatee close up is deeply moved
by the experience. The animal’s size and gentleness radiate an aura of
serenity.
Lightning
kills more people in Florida than any other state. The most deaths in Florida
occur in 
Stingrays
are extremely common on the flats of the IRL. Stepping directly on one
can produce a nasty and very painful injury. Stingrays bury themselves
almost completely in the sand and are hard to see even in clear water.
The base of the Stingrays tail contains a detachable barbed mucous covered
piece of cartilage i.e. The Stinger. This stinger is used by the Stingray
to defend itself. When stepped on a Stingray will try and drive its stinger
upward into the attacker (your foot) we locals call this being "rayed".
The stingray then flees leaving the stinger imbedded in the attacker. The
stinger’s barbs make extracting it difficult and the mucous surrounding
the stinger is a perfect medium for bacteria, which if left untreated,
makes an infection almost inevitable. The best protection against stingrays
is simple, don’t step on them! There is a dangerous myth that shuffling
your feet, as walk will spook rays as you approach, DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT.
I don’t know who came up with this gem but it wasn’t anybody that knew
what they were talking about. Sure, some small rays will scoot when they
feel you approach, but the bigger they are the less spooky they are. So
look down as you wade before making each step. If you see one ray remember
that they often run in schools. The 2nd best protection against
Stingrays is to wear thick-soled wading shoes. By thick here I mean at
least a half an inch (this excludes the very common and flimsy surf sox
which are really no protection). Finally, if the worse happens and you
are stung by a Stingray there is an antidote for most the harmful effects. The mucous which sheaves the stinger and causes most of the problems
is made protein. A common product which dissolves this protein is
Adolph's Meat Tenderizer. Making a paste by using saltwater and the tenderizer
powder and applying it to the wound will usually alleviate most symptoms within a half an hour. I always carry
Adolph's in my kayak as a precaution
against being "rayed"
Alligators
are common in the IRL. The largest number of alligators in the IRL occurs
inside Merritt Island National Wildlife refuge. This area includes Mosquito
Lagoon and the Banana River Manatee Sanctuary. The Alligators in the Merritt
Island refuge are adapted to saltwater and can grow quite large up to 14
feet in length and well over 600 lbs. These Alligators for the most part
are non-aggressive and will retreat upon approach. However just as with
stingrays the larger animals tend to stand their ground. The key dealing
safely with Alligators is also the same as with Stingrays i.e. see them
and avoid coming too close. To avoid coming too close you must recognize
when a Alligator is being aggressive. Alligators can become aggressive
for two fundamentally different reasons. The most common reason for aggressiveness
is territorial behavior. This territorial behavior occurs mostly in the
mating season of late spring and early summer. During this time male gators
stake out mating areas. If you violate the mating territory of a male gator
it will make a threat display by raising its body out of the water, particularly
its tail. If you see a gator doing this you should back off immediately.
The only time I was attacked in a kayak was when I got in the middle of
a territorial dispute between two gators. I was focused on avoiding one
animal and did not see the other come up behind me. Fortunately, the only
damage was a few tooth imprints in my kayak. The 2nd way gators
can become aggressive and a threat to humans is when they associate humans
with food. Notice that I did not say humans as food. Alligators
will follow people because they think that they will get an easy meal.
Many Alligators have picked off tired fish released by fisherman or have
gotten a meal from discarded bait. When a small gator tags along with me
I generally ignore it. Larger animals are (8ft and greater) are a different
story. If I get a tag-along one of these I generally put the boat in high
gear and paddle some distance away. Alligators will not follow you too
far, since they are on a strict energy budget.
Kayak flats fishing is my personal passion and it is my good fortune that
I live in the probably the best place in the U.S. practice this sport.
The IRL is now a booming sport fishery thanks largely to the ban on commercial
netting that has been in effect for several years. Species like the Redfish (which
was virtually wiped due the cuisine fad of blacken Redfish) have returned
in great numbers. Flats fishing is primarily sight fishing that is seeing
the fish you are trying to catch. A "Flats Boat" i.e. a boat used for flats
fishing must be stealthy and able to run extremely shallow water. The kayak
fits this description to a tee. A kayak is low profile, quiet and capable
of cruising over the shallowest of water. I first became interested in
kayaking as a way of fishing the no motor zones of the IRL. I had previously
tried using canoes but found them to slow and also vulnerable in bad weather.
The kayak offers the speed to search for fish and the stealth to approach
fish closely with out spooking them. I have modified several kayaks for
flats fishing the kayak in the photo has several of my modifications including
rod holders, silent paddle holder and bait well with an aerator. Since
I first started using a kayak for flats fishing of I seldom use my powered
flats boat. The kayak for me is perfect I can out fish just about anything
else and have access to waters restricted to powerboats. Another
benefit of using the kayak is that paddling 10 or so miles while fishing
gives you an excellent workout.
