Well worth the trip: Paddling with Manatee in Central Florida

BY: B. Keith Plunkett

This website is destined to be one about Mississippi waterways. It would have to be. That's what's in my backyard. But, it should be about what's in close proximity to us too. If what's in Mississippi is in the backyard then there is some pretty interesting places to paddle out in the neighborhood.

Keith and Sharon Plunkett in Three Sisters Springs paddling
with the manatee

Some may think of a 10 hour drive as being outside the realm of what is defined as "close proximity". But, I suppose that depends on the quality of the trip. This trip to Central Florida has been one of supreme quality. That's because not many places in the world can you do what Sharon, Rickey and I did yesterday. You'll just have to check out the video to determine if it fits your definition of being worth the trip. I, for one, will drive it again in a heartbeat. And, as I write this, I have a week left to find some other reasons to come back.

Sharon and this manatee at the Homasassa River enjoy a moment
of bonding. 

The videos below were filmed on the way to and at Three Sisters Spring off of Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida. It's about a three mile paddle from the back door of the house we rented for our annual Christmas Vacation. Three Sisters Spring is one of many warm springs that feeds into Crystal River and give the manatee a place to birth calves and escape colder winter waters, and one of the few places in the world you can kayak and swim with these gentle giants. It's a little nerve-wracking to know that if they had a mind to do it, these animals could snap the kayak with a flip of their massive tail. But, once you have begun to scratch his or her belly, they are completely under your control. They'll even roll over in order to give you easier access.


On the way upstream towards Three Sisters Spring from Kings Bay.



This big fellow's curiosity got the best of him, and he couldn't resist getting a closer look.



At the mouth of Three Sisters Spring the water is a clear blue and the manatee number in the dozens.



The clear water makes for a great opportunity to capture some good underwater photo's.



The barrier designed to keep out larger boats bears no testament to the wonders that await inside Three Sisters Spring.

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator - Gandhi

Tenn-Tom around Columbus offers opportunity for paddlers with a bent for exploration.

BY: B. Keith Plunkett

November 22, 2010--The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway is a 234-mile artificial waterway that provides a connecting link between the Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers. The waterway begins at Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River, then flows southward through northeast Mississippi and west Alabama, finally connecting with the established Warrior-Tombigbee navigation system at Demopolis, Alabama.

After 12 years of construction, the waterway and its seventeen public ports and terminals opened to commercial traffic in January 1985. In addition to the original 110,000 acres of land acquired for the construction and operation of the project, another 88,000 acres have been purchased and managed by the two state conservation agencies for wildlife habitat preservation and mixed use including hunting and parks.

Sharon and I, along with fellow paddler Dawn Henderson, used one of these parks, DeWayne Hayes Recreation Area, as our base of operation to explore the waters north of Columbus Lake. DeWayne Hayes is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers and is very well maintained and heavily used, especially when there is a big SEC game happening just up the road in Starkville. Despite the numbers we were able to claim a very quiet location in the primitive camping area.

Monk waits patiently for his opportunity to play
in the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

 We set up camp Saturday afternoon and, as luck would have it, our site was immediately adjacent to a two-foot shelf where Stinson Creek met the Tenn-Tom and was protected by a small group of cypress stumps. We were easily able to get in and out of our kayaks without worry about falling out into deep water. This private access area also gave me an opportunity to play around in the water with my sidekick Monk. Monk is my seven-year old yellow lab. I miss not having him with me on kayak-camping paddling trips. But there isn't enough room in my 14-foot Wilderness Tsunami. These trips that allow me to set up a base camp means Monk gets to come along.

Stinson Creek enters the Tenn-Tom just north of the park. The creek and the waterway are defined by the wide open areas between the tree-lined banks, but the flooded swamps in between offer some interesting sites to explore, as does the Cypress Swamp to the south of the camp that flows under and around Highway 50. We took a sunset paddle north on Stinson, paddling in and out of several swamps before hitting the big creek, turning on to the Tenn-Tom and heading south.




Dawn took this picture at the end of the first excursion.
The picture is looking back up Stinson Creek as the full moon
was rising in the distance.

 An evening of vittles made possible by my ever-increasing campfire cooking capabilities left us all rubbing our bellies and yawning. The encore came the next morning as I pounded out another stellar meal (if I must say so myself) accompanied by campfire coffee. Funny how it always taste better around a campfire, huh?

We then hopped in the kayaks and headed south towards the entrance to Cypress Swamp. As clearly indicated by the map of our route, we explored a great deal. The water was suprisingly clear, and the water hyacinths and grasses taking root on top of them were extremely thick in some areas.

There is something both comforting and haunting about paddling around in a swamp. Maybe because, due to the stumps and floating plants, it's impossible to get into a hurry. You have no choice but to take your time. But, there is something hauntingly familiar about it, too. With the exception of the occasional distant sounds of vehicles crossing the Highway 50 bridge in the distance, there was an eery quiet. Every so often, a suprised Blue Heron would startle ahead of me and begin a clumsy attempt at takeoff, all legs and neck and squawk. But, other than the sometimes yapping of the prehistoric looking birds, it was just the sounds of the paddles and the water.

We headed out of Cypress Swamp heading south on the Tenn-Tom for about a half mile. I noticed several other inlets on the west side of the waterway worthy of exploration. But, by this time the clock was telling me not to forget I had an appointment this evening back in Madison. I did my best to get the heart pumping on the paddle back, running off and leaving my companions to themselves. I was hoping to get in the excercise I would miss out on by not paddling the 25 to 30 mile days my body has become accustomed to. I may not have added as many miles in the 10-mile trek as I normally do, but I certainly got something out of the trip.

I hope to one day paddle the entire length of the Tenn-Tom. It's worthy of a longer closer look.




Above is the route from campsite north up Stinson Creek and around the point heading back south on the Tenn-Tom. The next day we headed south and, as you can see by the loops in the route around Highway 50, we explored the swamp as extensively as time allowed.



Welcome to Mississippi Paddler!

Sharon Plunkett paddles through the fog after breaking
camp on the Chickasawhay River in September of 2010.

BY: B. Keith Plunkett

Over the past 2 years, I, my wife and our kayaks have come across some pretty interesting people. Many are just as passionate about Mississippi's waters as we have become. I've had the priviledge of meeting people from across the state who love the outdoors, and the beauty of exploring it from the water. What I haven't found is a single place online that all gather to trade stories, pictures and video about the experiences.

Sure, there are plenty of websites out there, and plenty of paddlers that share their own little corner of the state. There's Keith Benoist and Melissa Morrison in Natchez with Kayak Mississippi, there's Paul Nettles and Melissa Johson at South Coast Paddling in Ocean Springs, John Ruskey in the Delta with Quapaw, and plenty more. Some are just everyday paddlers that love what we do, and are willing to call up a group of friends met over a few excursions and plan another trip. But I haven't found one place on the web that puts all of those interest together under one banner.

So, here it is. I'm inviting you to email me at keith.plunkett@ymail.com and share your information. We'll announce upcoming paddling events, share pictures and stories from trips past, and invite water lovers from across the state to write guest columns. Facebook is a grand way to stay in touch. But, the hope is this will be more inclusive and interactive.

And, don't let the title fool you. We'll delve across state lines, too.

Outfitters and Purveyors of Gear, we'll start by posting your ads on a first come, first serve basis. If response is what I hope it to be it may be necessary to begin selling ads at some point in the near future. This isn't likely to be a huge money maker. But who knows, we may can help fund some cleanups and get the attention of the powers that be over preservation and conservation issues.

I want to hear from you. Comments, questions, whatever.