07/04/2010 - Booms

Launch: Mobile Causeway aka US Hwy 90 at the triple boat ramps
Launch Cost: Free
Destination: Somewhere near the Battleship to watch the Fireworks.
Distance: 10 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 3 hours
Weather: Nearby rain storm with winds gusty at times.
GPS Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

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1) A nearby thunderstorm caused the winds to pick up speed. I started out having to wear a spray skirt but was able to take it off after getting in protected waters. Note the billboard sign - lawyers are crawling out of the ground to get a piece of BP money.

2) The waters on the south side of Hwy 90 near the Battleship were a bit choppy. Dozens of boats were already anchored and I didn't particularly want to be around a lot of boats in choppy water.

3) The clouds were putting on a wonderful light show.

4) I paddled to more sheltered waters to watch the sunset.

5) The clouds this evening were very captivating as the sun dipped down beyond the horizon.

6) Knowing that alligators like to come out just before sunset, I can only imagine that they too enjoy the colorful display from above.

7) Another aggressive alligator. This one jumped three feet into the air with mouth opened wide after taking this photo which caused me to quickly vacate its territory. Maybe alligators are aggressive right now because it is egg laying time.

8) With a little time to spare before the fireworks, I headed over to the Delta Fish House (formerly Oysterella's) to listen to live music by RipTide. They were pretty good.

9) The winds died down some, so I paddled over near the Hwy 90 bridge to watch the fireworks and listen to the big Booms. Saw three other kayakers.

10) Going through an over grown passageway in the dark was not exactly fun, but it did get me away from the boat traffic that was abundant after the fireworks show was over. I enjoyed paddling around under the starlight for another two hours after the fireworks.

07/03/2010 - D'Olive Creek and Bay

Launch: Scott's Landing (North side of causeway just west of Spanish Fort on Hwy 90).
Launch Cost: $4
Destination: D'Olive Creek and D'Olive Bay (Pronounced Doe'Leave) I always used to pronounce it Dee'Olive until I heard a historian talk about the name.
Distance: 7-8 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 2-3 hours
Weather: Sunny, 80s to 90s, winds calm.
GPS Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

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1) A lotus flower pad (they are about 2 feet in diameter) with some small yellow flowers in the background. The floating pads repel water.

2) An American Lotus flower is a big showy flower (Nelumbo lutea). The name Nelumbo comes from the Sinhalese name for this flower which means Holy Lotus. Sinhalese refers to the people of Sri Lanka which is a large island off the southern tip of India.

3) Waters were smooth in D'Olive Bay and remarkably clear. Hampton Inn is visible in the background. During low tide, it may be difficult to kayak through D'Olive Bay.

4) Today was the first time I've kayaked D'Olive creek and D'Olive Bay and today's trip was stunningly beautiful.

5) On the edge of Blakeley River, an alligator of very respectable size starting coming at the kayak instead of going under water like most do when near a kayak. It had no fear and made for a nice photo.

6) On D'Olive creek, the walk bridge is usually filled with spectators feeding the alligators and the sign on the bridge (visible in this photo) says, "Do not feed the alligators." If you look in the water, there are four white marshmallows floating and there is an alligator near one. Yes, alligators eat marshmallows. Unfortunately, feeding alligators makes them bold and in Florida, a bold alligator is a dead one.

7) I love the wicked hairdo on the Kingfisher birds. It reminds me of my nephew Matt.

8) Interstate 65 across Mobile Bay. With the sun going down, it is time to head back to the launch site.

9) The grandeur of a sunset in the Shellbank River Bay of Holy Lotus flowers. Breath in...Breath out... Relax...

10) Sunset across Blakeley River. None of this area paddled today was protected by oil booms, no oil was seen, and the only scent in the air was from the Nautilus restaurant which was wafting enticing aroma to my nose.

06/26/2010 - Douglas Lake

Launch: Upper Bryant Landing
Destination: Douglas Lake and Watson Creek
Distance: Approx 11 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: Approx 4 hours
Weather: Sunny, 80s to 90s, winds calm.
Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

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1) The launch site at Upper Bryant Landing.

2) About 1.25 miles north of the launch site is Douglas Lake which is marked by a sign on a big bald cypress tree at the entrance.

3) Cypress knees make for interesting reflections.

4) If it wasn't for its tail, this gator might not have been seen.

5) A white egret or heron was chowing down on shrubs loaded with Mayflies.

6) A closer look at a Mayfly.

7) The easy to identify shape (bell shape) of the Swamp Leather-Flower (Clematis crispa).

8) The easy to identify balls of the common Button Bush flower (Cephalanthus occidentalis).

9) A Banded Tussock Moth seen in Watson Creek. The hard to see head is on the right side hidden by the bristles.

10) Knowing what is going on along the Gulf Coast, one might think this is oil on the water. Here is how I determine if it is petroleum: If it smells like petroleum, it is petroleum. If it smells like pond scum, it is pond scum. This was pond scum in upper Watson Creek.

Misinformation Effect

1) This photo above (actual photo source unknown) along with about a dozen more similar photos were emailed to me by an excited individual who went on to say how sad it was to finally see the Mobile Bay shoreline inundated by the oil spill as evidenced in the photos. Isn't the internet great for witnessing the Misinformation Effect?

2) The first photo above was misinterpreted by someone accidentally or on purpose and passed on via chain email. Now many unsuspecting people viewing the chain email photos believe the dark looking color is actually oil. Not True! Natural tannic waters flowing from acidic wetlands mix with turbid waters of Mobile Bay in stark contrast with each other. This photo taken back in January, shows dark brownish red waters draining from the Bon Secour NWR which is the same color water you see draining from the wetlands in the above left photo. It isn't oil at all.

3) This photo above that I took shows the distinct contrast of darker water flowing out of Dog River mixing with the milky tan waters of Mobile Bay along with some foam spray generated from strong winds and boat propellers.

4) A further example of contrasting waters mixing together was taken back in October 2009 along the Intercoastal Waterway near the Alabama-Florida state line. It is all natural.

Unfortunately, there is sure to be plenty of actual photos of oil on water posted soon as sadly, the winds are starting to blow the oil slicks toward the beaches. Contrary to what Alabama Governor Bob Riley said six weeks ago, I don't think Alabama is in good shape at all to deal with the oil. We do not have enough skimmers to catch all the oil before it reaches the beaches and marshes. Small waves render the oil booms useless. This oil spill reminds me of the Bible. Nothing is new under the sun. History repeats itself. Watch the following video and shake your head in disgust:

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.

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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.