ADVENTURES

AWESOME
ECO-TOURS
21
FANTASTIC
FLORIDA
ADVENTURES
EXPLORE TRAILS & BACKWATERS
WITH TH E STATE ’S TO P G U I D E S
Discover secret inland fishing spots,
secluded waterways, World War II
shipwrecks, underwater tunnels,
prehistoric fossil sites and more ...
➜
KAYAKING, FISHING,
PADDLE BOARDING
& SCUBA DIVING
tugs her kayak onto a black sandbar that
appears no different from the dozen others
we’ve passed so far on the Peace River. The
owner of Atlantic Coast Kayak Company,
Richardson has been paddling Florida’s
waterways for 10 years, and her instinct tells
her that this is a good spot. My friend Amy
and I chose to paddle this course, which
begins about an hour’s drive east of Tampa
and empties into Charlotte Harbor on the
Gulf of Mexico. We chose it not just for the
scenery — limestone banks shaded by oak
trees and dotted with sandbars and swimming holes. We wanted to dig up the past.
Go Kayaking
EXPERT GUIDE
S U SA N R I CH A R DS O N
A DV E NT U R E
PA D D L I N G T H E
P E ACE R IV E R
FO R FOS S I L S
Richardson’s petite
frame belies her strength. With
short blonde hair poking out the back of her
round-brimmed canvas hat, she moves with
the assurance of someone who knows few
limits in the wilderness. The Zolfo Springs
to Gardner run, a 19.5-mile stretch, boasts
an abundance of Miocene-, Pliocene- and
Pleistocene-era fossils dating back as far as
23 million years ago. Each is a remnant from
when Florida was nothing more than seafloor.
This area is a hot spot for these tar-black relics;
it yields ancient and preserved dugong ribs,
turtle shells and credit-card-size teeth from
60-foot-long megalodon sharks.
And so we hop down from our kayaks
and wade into the river. Dipping a shovel
into the tannic water, I dredge a few scoops
onto a square mesh screen. Then I rake my
fingers through the sludge of black rocks
and thick clay.
“Got one!” I jokingly pretend I’ve
already found a shark’s tooth just to tease
my trip mates. But as they come in for a
closer look, I comb through the mud and
realize that I have actually found not one
but two teeth in the pile. Realizing we have
only a few more hours of sunlight left, we
pack up and head downriver to make camp.
Just after sunrise, we return to the water.
As we scout for black sandbars, Richardson
points out the hawks at the edge of our
sightline. We hear the scuffle of leaves
before spying wild turkeys pecking their
beaks into the stream. In between animal
sightings, we muse about what we found
yesterday. Our panning produced heaps
of easy-to-identify sharks’ teeth, and
we decided to keep the more unusual
fossils — those with sharply etched
lines or spotted patterns.
Then we see the regulars. Their
attire — wide-brimmed hats, longsleeve shirts and bandanas knotted
around necks — suggests commitment.
They work methodically, shoveling load
after load of black earth onto f loating
sieves framed by trimmed pool noodles
and tethered to stakes. Ingenious, their
setups require only one hand to sort
through the clay. In the few minutes that
they spend digging through the sandbars,
we watch them net at least one find from
each shovelful. Perhaps they also know
one of Richardson’s secrets: “Dip your
paddle into the river, and listen for the
crunch of rubble. Any place where your
canoe or kayak scrapes the bottom may
be a pain to paddle through, but is prime
fossil-hunting territory.”
We park our boats alongside John from
Fort Myers, a fossil-hunting veteran of 10
years. Built like a football quarterback, he
makes fast work with the shovel. Under a
canopy of cypress trees, he stands kneedeep in a hole dug into a sandbar. From a
single scoop, he rattles off what he recognizes. “Fossilized wood … turtle shell …
probably a rib bone,” he says while tucking each piece into a pouch belted around
his waist. He tells me that this area, about
a mile upriver from our exit point, is an
especially rich spot.
We thank him, float a few yards downriver and start digging our own holes.
Everything that seems like a find is indeed
a find. Turtle shells are easy to spot, as are
jagged teeth. Now, the success rate almost
makes it seem like a rigged carny game. We
fill our pockets before taking a lunch break.
Back on the river, Richardson’s kayak
strokes are quiet, clean and strong enough
to easily power the craft. She turns our
attention to the life along the riverbank.
Great blue herons unfold their wings and
audibly flap a few yards downstream.
Yesterday, we spied young gators on the
banks. “They’re solar-charging,” Richardson
joked. The most impressive sight comes as
we make our way in silence to a fork in the
river. In unison, several hundred turkey
vultures crane their bald, blood-red heads
in our direction. As we approach, they waddle across the sand, shifting their weight
from one foot to the other in an awkward
trot devoid of grace. Then they take flight
— their wings beating loudly with the
whoop-whoop of a prop plane readying for
takeoff. As we drift toward our exit point,
we peer down, studying every sandbar. We
now know that only time separates us from
the next Miocene-era mother lode. atlantic
coastkayak.com — BROOKE MORTON
Opposite: Fossil hunting adds a new dimension to a Peace River kayak trip through Southwest Florida. The leisurely two-day journey from
Zolfo Springs to Gardner includes stops at sandbars to sift for ancient treasures and enjoy nature sightings, and camping under the stars.
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PHOTOGRAPHY AMY MIKLER
“Here,” Susan Richardson calls out as she
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More Kayaking
Adventures
NORTHWEST
Pensacola
➜ Book an overnight trip on
the Coldwater Creek, near
Pensacola, through Adventures
Unlimited. Paddle past 30-foot
sand dunes and waterfalls as a
guide describes the flora and
fauna. Bring your own camping
gear. adventuresunlimited.com
NORTHEAST
Ocala
➜ Get a taste of Old Florida
when paddling the Ocklawaha
River, north of Ocala, with
Ocklawaha Canoe Outpost &
Resort. Bring your own camping gear for an overnight trip or
book a cabin at their resort on
the edge of the Ocala National
Forest. outpostresort.com
CENTRAL
Merritt Island
➜ Paddle the Indian River
Lagoon after dark to watch
jellyfish and plankton light up
the water. A Day Away Kayak
Tours in Merritt Island leads
bioluminescent tours, where
every movement in or on the
water makes the creatures
flash. adayawaykayaktours.com
SOUTHWEST
Everglades
➜ The Everglades National
Park has long been home to
many legends — panthers,
20-foot gators and skunk apes.
Book three-, five- and eightday Everglades expeditions
with the Naples Kayak Company. napleskayakcompany.com
FLORIDA KEYS
Peace River excursion with the Atlantic
Coast Kayak Company
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PHOTOGRAPHY AMY MIKLER
Key West
➜ Explore Key West’s
other wild side with Blue Planet
Kayak’s eco-tours. Guides lead
paddlers through mangrove
corridors accessible only by
kayak while spotting marine life
below. blue-planet-kayak.com
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sooner. The morning I meet the YOLO
Board paddle-board company founder at
his warehouse in Santa Rosa Beach, he’s
grinning like a proud father holding his
baby for the first time — and he’s just talking about the new line of paddles that he
and business partner Tom Losee created.
Chatting about upcoming expeditions to
the Everglades and Caribbean only makes
his eyes widen more.
Most of all, the Louisiana native is
stoked about his followers: a community
of water-sports enthusiasts who tasted
Paddle Board
EXPERT GUIDE
J E F F A RCH E R
A DV E NT U R E
PA D D L E B OA R D I N G
I N SA N TA
ROSA B E ACH
stand-up paddling boarding (SUP) once or twice and now
own paddle boards, taking to the water at
every opportunity. Archer admits that his
sights are set much higher. “Not everyone
has heard of paddle boarding,” he says.
“We’re after the 98 percent that doesn’t
know yet that this sport is for them.”
So what is it about paddling a board
that’s spawning an ever-growing tribe of
converts? For Archer, the turning point
came in 2006, when he followed a pod of
dolphins and watched them teach a young
member of the group how to catch fish.
The experience — his first ever on a paddle board — inspired Archer and Losee to
form YOLO, and the next week, the twosome was designing boards.
Six years later, Archer is still every bit
as enthused about exploring the water
from his board, and his athletic frame is a
testament to the surprisingly good workout one gets from SUP.
We head to Morrison Springs, a
glass-clear tributary that feeds into the
Choctawhatchee River. This trip will knock
three items off the list of North Florida SUP
experiences that Archer calls the “five-fecta.”
The area has the Gulf of Mexico’s flat waters,
the protected Choctawhatchee Bay, crystalclear springs, fast-moving rivers and, rarest
of all, 6,000-year-old dune lakes. Found
only in this area and a handful of other
places in the world, these bodies of water
are renowned for their beauty and the intermixing of freshwater and saltwater species,
which happens when heavy rainfall connects them to the Gulf.
A f ter a 30-minute drive,
we launch our boards from the
Morrison Springs boat ramp and
paddle a few dozen yards to the
headwater. The aquifer gushes 48
million gallons of water daily, creating
an unreal clarity to the cobalt blue stream.
Overhead, cypress trees have shed their
lushness for the season, leaving behind
a cool, sparse beauty among the spindly
branches veiled by Spanish moss.
Standing tall on the oversize boards,
we glide; it feels as if we’re walking on
water. This vantage point affords a field of
vision unparalleled in the boating community. Powerboats offer height, but
greatly disturb the surface. Kayaks slice
cleanly through the water, but seated paddlers see only a little of what lies below.
Right now, I’m overwhelmed by the
entire 250-foot-wide limestone amphitheater beneath me. Scuba divers 40 feet below
slip from view as they swim into the cave.
As I float over the lip of darkness, my fear
of heights sets in. My board teeters. Archer
reminds me of one of the sport’s tenets: “If
you wobble, steady your eyes on the horizon.
The board will follow.”
Balance regained, I follow Archer. Our
goal: to reach the high-energy intersection
where the spring meets the current-charged
Choctawhatchee River. Beneath us, redeared sliders scurry to find shelter. Gar, with
pinched mouths jagged with gnarly teeth
like chainsaw blades, skulk in slow motion.
Bits of algae resembling heads of butter
lettuce wave in the current.
Each stroke reminds me of the peacefulness that comes with repetitive movement in
water, as with swimming or rowing. We settle into a quiet rhythm. As our arms stroke
faster, our thoughts slow, allowing us to better absorb the surroundings. The air smells
of wet moss and the musty decay of a forest
perpetually rebuilding itself. It’s quiet here.
The dripping paddles and the low humming
of cicadas provide the only soundscape.
“I have to know what’s down there,”
Archer says, eyeing the upcoming fork in
the river. It’s rife with strainers — fallen
logs and other detritus that redirect the
water flow into unpredictable patterns.
We merge onto the Choctawhatchee River,
paddling against the current as long as our
muscles will let us. The sun has bowed low
on the horizon, dappling the trees and
sandbars with a patchwork of gold, and
it’s time for our return trip.
Back in our cars, we speed to nearby
Choctawhatchee Bay, reaching it at twilight,
and once again launch our boards. We’re
alone on the water, weaving between moored
sailboats. As I watch the colors brighten to
neon shades, I realize it’s not my arms that
are tired. It’s my cheeks. I’ve been smiling all
day. yoloboard.com — BM
Considered one of the fastest-growing water sports, stand-up paddle boarding, which has roots in Hawaii, is often compared to kayaking.
The difference is that it offers better scenic views of Florida’s waterways, as well as a good workout for arms, legs and core.
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PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT SNOW; OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ROBERT SNOW; TOM TAVEE; JAKE MEYER; ROBERT SNOW
It’s surprising that Jeff Archer didn’t start a cult
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More SUP
Adventures
CENTRAL
Orlando
➜ Maui B takes paddlers down
the Little Econlockhatchee
and the Wekiva rivers, where
sightings of hawks, turtles,
river otters and wood storks
are frequent. Overnight trips,
March through November,
include gear and food. A SUP
eco-tour in New Smyrna tracks
manatees and dolphins and
educates people about these
marine mammals. mauib.com
SOUTHEAST
Jupiter
➜ East Coast Paddle Surfing in
Jupiter rents boards overnight,
so adventure types can explore
the Loxahatchee River at
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
and the mangrove trails of St.
Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park.
Book a lesson or adventure
tour along the Intracoastal.
eastcoastpaddlesurfing.com
SOUTHWEST
Naples
➜ Paddleboard SWFL launches
tours on waterways between
Naples and Fort Myers, including spots on the Gulf of Mexico
and along the Estero River.
Paddle by moonlight on a fullmoon tour, or design a custom
trip for your skill level, around
wildlife sightings or anything
else. paddleboardswfl.com
FLORIDA KEYS
Cypress trees at
Morrison Springs
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PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT SNOW
Key West
➜ SUP Key West offers halfand full-day tours, as well
as lessons at national wildlife refuges, where dolphin,
stingray and manatee sightings
are common. A sunset combo
paddle takes you through mangroves and the Atlantic Ocean.
Guides specialize in local ecology and can adapt itineraries.
supkeywest.com
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