Canoeing Black Creek in Florida's Panhandle
Seeing Nature from a Canoe in Walton Caounty, Florida
Feb 12, 2009
Native Floridians enjoy fthe touch of the warm sun on their faces as they paddle slowly toward the bay. It’s springtime on Black Creek, just north of the beaches where people from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and other places far and near come to enjoy the sand, sand as white as sugar, and the emerald-green water of the beaches.
Spring Breakers
Many are students bent on getting a tan during their annual spring break. They have only one week, and they must spend every minute in the sun so they can go home with a tan. If the day is windy or cold, they spread their towels between the dunes where the wind isn’t so strong and they can be a little warmer.
It's too bad that few SOWAL (South Walton County) visitors know the wonderful secrets of the inland waterways; the creeks and streams that wind their way through the swamps and empty their contents into the rivers that in turn pour their dark waters into the Choctawhatchee Bay and finally into the Gulf of Mexico.
Mother Nature from a Canoe
The inland waterways have let native Walton Countians in on some of their secrets. The natives paddle lazily, breathing in the sweet smell of the ti ti tree, also called the Good Luck Tree, its white blossoms just beginning to show. They glide down the dark waterway and watch the mullet jump in front of the canoe. They see the turtles that slip quietly off the log where they were sunning as a canoe approaches. Always on the lookout for alligators, they sometimes glimpse two eyes observing them quietly just above the surface of the water.
If the canoists are lucky, a bottle-nosed dolphin may decide to befriend them. Occasionally one of the playful mammals will surface, squeaking and whistling before splashing back into the water. Sometimes these fun-loving creatures will continue playing alongside the canoe, jumping and puffing until the canoe reaches a fork and the friendly animal decides to head for the bay. These mammals are often seen in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's quite a surprise to see them swimming in the creek.
Natives know where the osprey's nests are, and they are careful not to disturb a family in a nest as they glide around a bend in the creek. They know that in the spring there are probably babies in that nest, and the mother osprey will not welcome their approach. In fact she may will probably let them know they're not welcome in no uncertain terms, threatening them by swooping down toward them and squawking. She's telling them that she wants them to go away.
The oldtimers paddle quietly past the fishermen who are trying their luck close to the shore, and pull up at Opossum Island for lunch. The midday meal can be a simple as crackers, cheese, and water, but southern-fried chicken and potato salad always tastes good on a spring day on a Florida river.
When the sun starts to set and the air starts to cool, it's time to paddle upstream to the take-out point and pull the canoe out of the water. The canoists stretch their legss and take a moment to savor the day's memories. They may sympathize with the poor spring breakers who are miserable from sunburn or windburn, or who are stuck in traffic along Highway 98 after hitting the outlet malls. After all, the visitors don't know what they've missed on some of Florida's beautiful inland waterways.
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