08/25/2013 - Theodore Industrial Canal

1) A heron takeoff is not always a beautiful sight.

2) A little alligator left in Dog River.

3) Old gray beard.

4) Industrial drainage site into Theodore Industrial Canal.

5) The end of Summer is near. Hahahaha.

6) The wind went still as the sailboats started going out to Mobile Bay.

05/12/2011 - Theodore Industrial Canal

Header Image - a dock cat gazing intently at the kayak.

1) Sunrise on Dog River.

2) Birds start moving around at sunrise.

3) Wildflowers brightened the banks of Theodore Industrial Canal.

4) Blue-Purple skullheads.

5) I paddled over to where birds were moving around in a corybantic way. They ignored my presence as the kayak edged ever so close and then I noticed tiny fish floating on the surface of the water.

6) Those are all dead minnows. It didn't take long to realize something was askew in the waters due to the horrendous smell. According to someone I talked to at Deer River Bait and Tackle, algae blooms are the culprit for removing all the oxygen from the water in this area. Phew!

7) Big spools of under sea pipeline spools await transport from Technip spoolbase facility on the Theodore Industrial Canal. It provided some colorful reflections. 

8) Also colorful along the bank of the Theodore Industrial Canal turning basin is rope left to rot. Like plastic, it's going to take a long time for heavy duty industrial sized tugboat rope to biodegrade back into the dirt.

10/01/2009 - Gaillard Island, TIC

Launch: Hoppes

Went to Gaillard Island and due to high waters in the Bay, found there was very little sand to beach on. Within 60 seconds, mosquitoes began to swarm and they were biting fiercely. Had to get out of there immediately.

1) Dog River Bridge at the entrance to Mobile Bay.

2) Technip's Deep Blue steel pipe laying ship berthed at Theodore Industrial Canal is a marvel of technology.

3) The fisherman on the right had a big fish on the line which fought and fought and eventually won by breaking the line.

09/10/2006 – McNally Park

Launch: McNally Park boat ramp. Launch Cost: Free. Route: Southwest to the northern end of Gaillard Island, then south along the west side of the island to the southwest corner, about the only place where you can get out of the kayak and stretch the legs. Then west to the Theodore Industrial Canal, then back up to McNally Park. Distance: 23.7 miles. Average Speed: 3.6 mph. Time: Approx 7 hrs. Pace: Moderate. Weather: Cloudy, waves choppy out of the southeast, current was minimal. The weather looked threatening at the beginning and the end, but it never rained.

(1) Above left. Herons like to eat a crab in one gulp. This crab was a little too big for one bite. (2) Above right. Pelicans are the typical residents of Gaillard Island where there are thousands of them.

(3) Above left. Note the detail on this rather interesting flower known as the Fen Rose, aka Kosteletzkya virginica. (4) Above right. The sulfur butterflies took a liking to the fen roses.

(5) Above left. These silos along the Theodore Industrial Canal are part of the Holcim plant I think and they are rather massive when kayaking next to them. (6) Above right. The largest water fall in the area can be found in the Theodore Industrial Canal. It is definitely not kayaker friendly if you are thinking about doing a little white water kayaking.

(7) Above left. This is the first year I’ve seen these huge walking sticks and there are a bunch of them around. I didn’t realize there was such a size difference between the male and female. (8) Above right. Had to take a photo of these nice green seeds that had pointed texture.

(9) Above left. Purple berries on a sumac plant. (10) Above right. The clouds started to look threatening again and there was lightning off in the distance. This caused me to pick up the pace substantially. Made it back before the storm. This was a nice trip.

08/13/2005 – McNally - Gaillard - TIC

Launch: McNally Park which is just north of the Buccaneer Yacht Club. Launch Cost: Free. Route: Across Mobile Bay and Dog River Channel to Gaillard Island, around the island, across to Theodore Industrial Canal, then back. Distance: 23.2 miles. Average Speed: 3.1 mph. Time: Approx 7.5 hrs. Pace: Leisurely. Weather: Sunny. No breeze. Humid. High heat index.

(1) Above left. A beautiful sunrise on Mobile Bay. (2) Above right. Gaillard Island, still a couple of miles away, is about 5 miles southeast from McNally Park. If you like to see Pelicans, you need to kayak to Gaillard Island, home to 5,000 to 10,000 pelicans and thousands of other birds. It is an experience you won’t forget.

(3) Above left. Lining the entire perimeter of Gaillard Island are large rocks which make it very difficult to land a kayak or any boat. Humans are not welcome on this “dredge material” island, which is how the Pelicans like it. Besides, if you went onto the island, the bugs would eat you alive. (4) Above right. A brown pelican, up close.

(5) Above left. None of the photos I took can express the eerie feeling I felt while kayaking along side hundreds of pelicans. It felt as if I was in a zoo and they were all watching me. (6) Above right. Photo merge taken on the south side of Gaillard Island. We spent a fantastic hour pedaling/paddling together like this. It is because of one man’s vision that I got to experience kayaking with the pelicans. For more info on man made Gaillard Island, click Seabird Haven, Pelicans Thrive, Corps of Engineers, and a power point slide show can be seen at Faulkner.

(7) Above left. A couple of drilling platforms that stand out like a sore thumb. (8) Above right. Polar King, a cable laying vessel, docked by the entrance to the Theodore Industrial Canal.

(9) Above left. When you need to take a break, step onto the pristine beaches of the Theodore Industrial Canal and enjoy your view. Surely fish need iron in their diet besides mercury, right? (10) Above right. McNally Park boat launch after the wonderful trip.