06/20/2010 - Mobile River and Chickasaw Creek

Launch: Was going to launch at Arlington Park but the entrance gate was locked. Launched at the Causeway Boat Ramp (just west of Oysterella's restaurant) instead.
Destination: Mobile River and Chickasaw Creek looking for signs of oil contamination on the shoreline, wildlife, or birds. No signs of oil contamination were seen.
Distance: Approx 26 miles.
Paddle time: Approx 7 hours.
Weather: Hot and humid (90s) with a heat index eventually going over 100 degrees.
Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

Header Image

1) A bold alligator that wasn't shy of the kayak snuggled up close for a photo.

2) Dragon flies dominated the airway along the top of the big cane grasses.

3) A big osprey eagle is dive bombed by a small blackbird over and over. It just goes to show you that bigger is not always better.

4) I noticed oil booms had been removed from Spanish River and a new one here was being placed across from the Battleship.

5) There were about a half dozen humongous tires washed up along the shoreline of Chickasaw Creek. The Chickasaw Creek is also contaminated with tons of abandoned tugboat rope.

6) It was a hot one today and when I needed it most, Pepsi was there on Mobile River.

7) Shore erosion leads to falling trees which eventually end up downstream along the shoreline like here along Mobile River.

8) Some rednecks have never heard of taking home picnic trash and disposing of it properly. Thanks to the misfits, this plastic trash may be around another 500 years as a hazard with the potential of killing wildlife and marine life.

9) With very little wind (did I say how hot it was?), Mobile River was calm.

10) Transocean's Deepwater Pathfinder is docked in Mobile, probably undergoing an intensive inspection. It was the Deepwater Horizon that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This vessel is supposed to be able to drill in water 10,000 feet deep and has been working off the coast of Nigeria. The potential for oil rig disasters is not just a Gulf of Mexico concern - there are thousands of them scattered around the world. To visualize the size of this vessel, note the size of the tugboat and barge in the photo.