by Rick O'Connor | Apr 22, 2016
Many folks are putting together a “bucket list” of things they would like to do or see before they can no longer do them. For many interested in natural resources there are certain national parks and scenic places they would like to visit. Other natural resource fans have a list of wildlife species they would like to see.
Terrapins inhabit creeks, such as this one, within the expanse of the salt marsh. Here you can see their heads pop up above the water and you may get lucky enough to find one basking.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Recently I hooked with famed Alabama outdoorsman Jimbo Meador to search for locations to find Alabama turtles. Jimbo has been fishing, hunting, and enjoying the Mobile Bay area all of his life and he now using that knowledge as a guide in a nature-based tourism project. He recently received a call from a group of gentleman from another part of the country who had on their bucket list viewing 1000 reptilian species in their native habitat. In Alabama they were interested in the Black-knobbed Map Turtle, the Alabama Red Belly, and the Diamondback Terrapin. Jimbo has just begun the first module of the Florida Master Naturalist Program and reached out to us for advice on where to find these guys. Luckily, after working with scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I knew where to find diamondback terrapins – and have a pretty good idea on the others.
These “diamonds of the marsh” – as they are sometimes called – are very elusive creatures. They inhabit muddy bottom creeks within extensive salt marsh habitat all along the Gulf and East coast of the United States. I spent two years searching the Florida panhandle before I found my first live animal. It was one of the odd things though – once you have seen one, you now know what you are looking for and begin to find more.
I took Jimbo to a location near Dauphin Island where about 150 terrapins are believed to exist. Terrapins spend most of their day within creeks that meander through acres of salt marsh. The odd thing is there may be hundreds of creeks within these marshes and the terrapins – for some reason – will select their favorites and hang there. You can spend all day paddling through perfect looking creeks not seeing a head at all… then all of sudden… you enter one creek… not really any different than the others… and there they are.
Veteran waterman and outdoor guide, Jimbo Meador, explores the marshes near Dauphin Island for the elusive diamondback terrapin.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Within these creeks they feed on a variety of shellfish but particularly like the marsh periwinkles. These small snails are the ones that climb the cordgrass and needlerush plants during high tide to avoid their nemesis the blue crab and the diamondback terrapin. Terrapins do crawl out of the water to bask in the sun and have been known to bury in the loose fine mud. Females must find high dry ground to lay her eggs. She may swim as far as 5 miles from her home creek to find a suitable beach. They do like sandy beaches that are open and free of most plants. They emerge onto these beaches during May and June to lay about 7-10 eggs. Most females will lay more than one clutch each season emerging once every 16 days or so. Different from sea turtles – terrapins nest during the daylight hours. Actually the sunnier – the better. Raccoons are a big problem… find and consuming the eggs; on some beaches researchers have reported 90% or more of the nest have been raided by the furry guys. Crows, snakes, and possibly armadillos will take nests as well. If the developing young survive the 60+ days of incubation, they will emerge and head for the grass areas of the marsh… not the water. Here they will spend the first year of their life living more like a land turtle before they make their way to the brackish waters of the salt marsh.
Open sandy beaches, such as the one in this photograph, are the spots females terrapins seek when they are ready to dig a nest.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
These are fascinating creatures and should be on everyone’s natural resource bucket list. The hard effort of finding them really makes doing so very rewarding. On this day Jimbo saw only one head – I did not see any. I have found in my study site that I see more heads in the afternoon (we were out in the morning). I do not know if this is the case at all terrapin nesting sites, but something to consider when looking. Though we did not find many that day he now knows what to look for when searching for them. Next we will have to hunt the Alabama Red Belly Turtle. That is another story for another day.
We will continue this series with other interesting wildlife creatures to “hunt” in the Florida panhandle.
by Rick O'Connor | Mar 25, 2016
All Photos: Molly O’Connor
In this monthly series of highlighting outdoor adventures in the Florida Panhandle, we are visiting locations along the Intracoastal Waterway; from the Alabama State line to the Aucilla River. In January we wrote about Perdido Key, last month we visited Pensacola Beach, this month we move east along Santa Rosa Island to the beach community of Navarre.
Navarre Beach is a relatively quiet community on Santa Rosa Island between Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach. There are some good places to eat, a new RV campground, and plenty of water/outdoor activities. Navarre Beach became famous in the 1970’s as the location for the film Jaws II. I personally witnessed much of the shooting of the film and it was amazing to see how it all actually all works. The hotel that was used in the film is no longer there but the stories are!
On the Island
There are some great kayak and paddle locations on Navarre Beach. Paddling over the grassbeds and to the east of the Navarre Marine Park you can see a lot of coastal wildlife and great sunsets. You can of course paddle the Gulf as well and maybe take a shot at kayak fishing. You will find local kayak rentals and guides by visiting Naturally EscaRosa website.
Paddling in a kayak or on a paddleboard is a great way to view wildlife and natural scenes while visiting Navarre Beach.
The Navarre Fishing Pier extends over 1500 feet. Not only a great place to fish but a great place to view marine life.
Speaking of fishing, there is the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier which extends 1500 feet out over the Gulf. The pier provides of variety of price options for fishermen of all ages and for $1 you can just walk and enjoy the view. Sharks and sea turtles are often seen from here – and don’t forget the sunsets.
There are two educational interpretive centers on Navarre Beach. The Navarre Beach Marine Science Station is part of the Santa Rosa County School District. They provide programs for elementary, secondary, and dual-enrolled high school-college students. The Station also provides numerous youth camps during the school year and during the summer, as well as providing activities at local community events. To see if they have something going for your young one while you are here visit their website.
The Navarre Beach Marine Science Station provides education for young and old.
The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center is an educational center that focuses on imperiled marine wildlife but the sea turtle is the star of the show. The center will eventually house an injured sea turtle that can no longer be released but until one arrives, there is plenty to see and learn. Learn more about the center at their website.
The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center.
Santa Rosa County also provides a couple of nearshore snorkel reefs for the public. You can find them on both the Gulf and Sound sides.
These day markers are marking two nearshore snorkel reefs on the Sound side of Navarre Beach. They can be accessed from the Navarre Marine Park.
A barge travels beneath the Navarre Beach Bridge as it heads east along the ICW.
Off the island
Actually, you have to leave Santa Rosa at this point. The island between Navarre Beach and Ft. Walton Beach is the property of the United States Air Force.
As you leave Navarre Beach to travel the ICW from the north side, you see the Panhandle Butterfly House on your left at the Highway 98 traffic light. This is a great stop. Viewing live butterflies feeding on native plants in all stages of their lives is a cool sight. There are plenty of volunteers to educate you about native butterflies and there is a pond out back with a lot of turtles and birds to view. It’s a neat and relaxing place.
The Panhandle Butterfly House is located just to the west of the traffic light on Highway 98 as you leave Navarre Beach.
Numerous turtles can be found swimming and basking in the pond behind the butterfly house.
A snowy egret hunts for a meal in the turtle pond behind the butterfly house.
Nature Notes: Sea Turtles
Who doesn’t love sea turtles! These silent, charismatic creatures have been navigating Gulf waters, and nesting on our beaches for centuries. Certainly the largest species of turtle humans will encounter, weighing in between 200-300 pounds – with some reaching 1000 pounds, they are an awesome thing to see. There are five species found in the northern Gulf of Mexico and there are records of four them nesting here. Those species are the Loggerhead, Green, Kemp’s Ridley, Hawksbill, and the giant of them all the Leatherback.
Sea turtles begin their lives within the egg buried on a beach. The sex of the embryo is determined by the temperature of the sand they are incubating in – cold ones become males and 29°C appears to be the cutoff. After 60-70 days incubating the young hatchlings emerge at night and orient towards shortwave light (moon or stars off the water). However, in recent years much of the light we provide in our homes as directed them in the wrong direction (disorientation). There are “turtle friendly lights” that use longwave colors and significantly reduce the disorientation problem. All coastal counties along the panhandle require these lights for island structures. Many of the hatchlings are lost as they wonder to the Gulf. Ghost crabs, fox, coyotes, and now feral cats capture and consume many.
Those lucky enough to reach the water now have to deal with fish and bird predators. These young head offshore seeking the Sargassum mats where they will spend their growing years feeding and hiding.
As immature adults most species will return to the coastal areas to feed on seagrasses or invertebrates. As they become sexually mature they, once again, head to sea. Though they travel far and wide they are known to return to their place of birth for breeding and egg laying. Breeding takes place just offshore and females may come ashore more than once to deposit their clutch of 100+ eggs.
In addition to light pollution, marine debris, boat strikes, commercial fishing nets, and even holes and chairs left on the beach overnight have caused their numbers to decline. You should be aware that most coastal counties have a “leave no trace” ordinance asking you to remove your chairs, tents, and other items at the end of the day – and please fill in any holes you may have dug. All species of marine turtles are currently listed and protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In Florida, the USFWS has yield management of these species to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They are truly a magnificent creature and we hope all get to see one while exploring our beaches.
Now it is time to move to Okaloosa County – the April issue will look at Ft. Walton and Destin. Let’s head there and see what cool outdoor adventures await us.
You can find information on ecotourism providers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties by visiting Naturally EsacRosa.
by Laura Tiu | Mar 12, 2016
It is that time of year again. Spring Break brings locals and visitors back to the beach for fun in the sun. It is important to remind folks that part of having fun is playing it safe. At the beach, this means knowing and following some pretty basic safety guidelines.
Not all beaches have lifeguards present, you have to be responsible for your own safety. When visiting the beach, it is important to consider the tide and surf conditions. To minimize the risks of drowning or serious injury, a uniform warning flag program was developed for use by Florida’s beachfront communities. Florida’s beach warning flag program uses flags in four colors accompanied by interpretive signs along the beach to explain the meaning of each color in both English and Spanish. Please follow the guidelines and flags posted.
You also need to check for the presence of rip currents. Rip currents are powerful currents of water moving away from the shore. They can pull even a strong swimmer out to sea. It is best to not enter the water where a rip current is present. However, if you find yourself caught in one, try to relax and don’t fight the current, swim out of the current parallel to the shore and swim to shore when you no longer feel the pull of the current.
Protect your skin. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chance for developing melanoma later in life. Racking up more than five sunburns at any age also doubles the risk for melanoma. Keep sunburn at bay by properly applying sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher. Try to spend some time in the shade, wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes. Remember to hydrate by drinking plenty of water too.
It is good to know a little bit about and appreciate the ocean life you might meet on the beach. Shark attacks aren’t common, especially in shallow shore areas, but always be on the lookout. Shells on mussels, clams and oysters can be very sharp so be careful walking near them. Some species of jellyfish have tentacles that contain venom and can sting you. Avoid them if you can. Learn about the animals you will find at the beach and you will be able to co-exist with little risk.
Many ocean creatures need our protection. Sea turtles and many shorebirds are protected and there are things you can do to help them. For sea turtles, keep the beach clean (remove all trash and furniture), dark (turn off lights on beach and don’t use flashlights) and flat (fill in any holes you dig so that turtles don’t become trapped). In fact, it’s recommended that you take only pictures and leave only footprints. Stay away from nesting shorebird habitat. Many beaches do not allow you to bring your pets to the beach for health and safety reasons and to protect venerable wildlife. Be sure to know the rules before you bring Fido to the beach.
Finally, please help keep the beach tidy. When your visit is over, take back everything you brought. Food scraps attract unwanted animals, fishing line injures and kills birds and other wildlife and plastic is harmful to both the environment and the animals that sometimes mistake it for food. Abandoned beach furniture and toys can obstruct sea turtle nesting and hatching. The best policy is to leave the beach cleaner than you found it.
Have a good time at the beach. Take a little time to learn and follow the safety rules that are there for your protection. Practice good citizenship by caring for and conserving the beach and ocean ecosystems in order to keep them beautiful in the present and for future generations.
Many counties in the panhandle have lighting and barrier ordinances to protect wildlife and workers.
Photo: Rick O’Connor
Follow these beach safety tips for helping your family enjoy the beach while protecting coastal wildlife.
by Rick O'Connor | Feb 12, 2016
All Photos by Molly O’Connor
We began our series on Nature Tourism along the ICW at the Alabama state line on Perdido Key and discussed the ICW itself. This month we will continue in Escambia County with a visit to Pensacola Beach.
The dune fields of panhandle barrier islands are awesome – some reaching over 50 ft. in height. This one is near the Big Sabine hike (notice white PVC markers).
The cannons of Ft. Pickens protected the entrance into Pensacola Bay. The views of the western end of Santa Rosa Island are great from here. There is plenty of nature and history to be discovered at this park. Plan to stay the day.
BARRIER ISLANDS
Pensacola Beach is on Santa Rosa Island. The longest barrier island in the panhandle, Santa Rosa Island stretches 44 miles from Ft. Pickens, at Pensacola Pass, to Destin Pass in Okaloosa County. With miles of some of the whitest beaches in the world, these panhandle islands have a variety of ecosystems. The mineral that makes the beach so white is quartz, one of the minerals found in granite rock. Over eons weathering and erosion has released these minerals from the granite in the Appalachians and sent it downstream to the Gulf coast. The densities of the different minerals force it to settle out at different rates. Quartz, being one of the less dense minerals, reaches the Gulf of Mexico where it encounters longshore currents. In the panhandle these currents more often run east to west moving the quartz in that direction. This sand forms bars and shallows which made colonial navigation a problem and good hiding places for pirates. Some of the bars remain above sea level and form dune fields and plant communities, forming barrier islands. Many animals, such as shorebirds and sea turtles, seek these islands for nesting because of few predators. The xeric conditions favor reptiles and birds, but there are many mammals and insects as well. Freshwater ponds form on many of the islands and here amphibians and fish came claim territory. The high energy beach of the Gulf side supports a community of subterranean organisms which include the mole crab (sand flea) and coquina. The low energy bay side harbors salt marshes along the shoreline and seagrass meadows below the surface. These habitats support a rich variety of marine life, some of the most productive in the world.
The Florida Trail extends (in sections) over 1,300 miles from Ft. Pickens to the Florida Everglades. It begins at this point.
PENSACOLA BEACH
There are many places on Pensacola Beach where visitors can enjoy these natural places. At the west end of the island is Ft. Pickens, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Within the park you will find beaches to comb, piers to view wildlife and fish, jetties to fish or dive, fortifications to view the island, and a nice museum to educate you on both the natural and cultural history of the area. Here the Florida Trail begins. This trail is segmented and stretches from Ft. Pickens to the Everglades, but here it stops at Battery Langdon; it can be hiked or biked. Along the trail there are freshwater ponds and sections of maritime forest with a variety of wildlife viewing and photography. The multiple loop campground is found on this trail.
Between these pilings at Park West is one of the county snorkel reefs. Visibility is tough but the fish are there.
There is a kayak launch at Park West as well.
Just outside the entrance to the park is a county park named Park West. Here there is a kayak launch and nearshore snorkel reef on the bay side, with picnic area and beaches on the Gulf.
In Pensacola Beach proper there are several businesses that rent paddleboards for paddling the shallow seagrass filled Little Sabine. There are two marinas which offer sailing, fishing, and diving charters as well as dolphin tours. There are numerous artificial reefs off of Pensacola including the world’s largest – the U.S.S. Oriskany. On the Gulf side you will find the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier where not only can you fish but, at times, see marine life. Sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, and large fish are often seen. The sunsets are great here. At the Visitors Center you can get a map to follow the Eco-Trail. This driving trail of 28 kiosks will take you to natural spots and the kiosks provide education about the area. There is a prize if you complete the trail.
Heading east from Pensacola Beach you once again pick up a portion of the Florida Trail. At this location there is a bike path, which can be walked or biked. Park East houses a popular nearshore snorkel reef. This snorkel reef is on the Gulf side and there are beach markers to help the diver locate it. On the bay side is Big Sabine. This area of high dunes and salt marsh has no formal trail but there are PVC pipes placed to help navigate your way in and out.
The paddleboard entry to Little Sabine can be found next to the Pensacola Beach Marina.
The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier is not only a great spot to catch fish, it’s a great spot to see marine life – and great sunsets.
Further east you once again enter the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Escambia County is lucky to have almost 50% of their portion of the island within this national park. There are miles of natural beach to explore but you must use the public parking lots (no roadside parking) and watch your speed, this area supports several species of nesting shorebirds – some of which are listed as imperiled in the state of Florida.
The Santa Rosa island Authority’s Eco-Trail has 28 kiosk to navigate and learn about the natural history of the island. It is a fun and educational car trip. You can get the map for this trail at the visitors center on Pensacola Beach.
To learn more about nature and farm tourism in Escambia County visit www.NaturallyEscaRosa.com and download the free app at the App Store or Google Play
Next month – Santa Rosa County.
Aligning these markers will assist the snorkeler/diver in locating the Gulf snorkel reef at Park East. The swim is a bit further than Park West but the visibility is much better.
by Rick O'Connor | Feb 5, 2016
Fishermen fish the marshes of Weeks Bay while a pelican looks on. Photo: WeeksBay.org
Mobile Bay?… part of the Florida panhandle?… Really?…
Well… yes… during the colonial period “West Florida” extended west to the Biloxi area and besides, all western panhandlers know we are really “lower Alabama”; we hear it a million times a year… so YES, it’s part of the Florida panhandle! We’ll go with it.
The shallow, muddy, and productive waters of Mobile Bay as they pass the port city of Mobile AL.
Photo: Auburn University
Approximately 35 miles long and 10 miles wide, Mobile Bay is one of the largest estuaries on the Gulf coast; draining close to 1/5th of the eastern United States. This wide, shallow, and muddy bay supports a variety of fresh and brackish water ecosystems. Wildlife from the Mississippi delta, the red hills of the Piedmont region, and the Florida panhandle all converge here making this one of the more biologically diverse areas in the country. It was home to both Dr. E.O. Wilson and Dr. Archie Carr who deeply loved the area and it has been a hub for estuarine research for decades. The rich abundance of wildlife supports commercial and recreational fishing and hunting as well as a growing ecotourism industry. Though the shallow bay must be dredged to support it, the Port of Mobile in one of the busiest in the Gulf region.
Weeks Bay is a small tributary to this bay system. Fed by the Fish and Magnolia Rivers on the southeastern shore of Mobile Bay, Weeks Bay discharges into Bon Secour, which supports a commercial fishing business. Lined with salt marshes, cypress swamps, and bogs, this area is great for wildlife viewing and fishing. It is also the area of Mobile Bay that experiences the famous crab jubilees; where levels of low dissolved oxygen on the bottom of the bay force benthic animals – such as crabs and flounder – to shallow water seeking oxygen. About 6,000 acres of this estuarine habitat is now part of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve system. At the reserve there are interactive exhibits, trails, and pontoon boat rides to explore and appreciate this special place.
Crab jubilees occur along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay during very warm summer evenings.
Photo: NOAA
What better place to learn about the estuaries of the Gulf coast! The Panhandle Outdoor LIVE program will conduct one of our four 2016 watershed schools at this reserve. We will have lectures on estuarine ecology, the seafood industry in Mobile Bay – highlighting oyster farming, and on the mission of the Research Reserve itself. We will also have a local outfitter lead a kayak/canoe trip through the estuary as well an interpretive nature hike at the reserve’s visitor center. It will be set up as an overnight trip for those traveling and we will be staying at Camp Beckwith, which on Weeks Bay. Registration for this trip will open at the end of February. If you have questions about this watershed school you can contact Carrie Stevenson or Rick O’Connor at (850) 475-5230; or Chris Verlinde at (850) 623-3868.
A relaxing spot at Camp Beckwith on Weeks Bay.
Photo: Camp Beckwith
by | Jan 25, 2016
It’s a calm clear weekday in January. There’s a single buzzard soaring above, two squirrels scurrying in the trees and a pileated woodpecker calling in the distance. It’s hard to imagine this site was the capital of civilization in North Florida some 1200 or more years ago. The visible exception is the weathered remnant of “The Great Mound”, a massive earthen mound forty-six feet high and over 300 feet wide at its base. This is the largest Native American ceremonial mound in Florida, containing millions of twenty pound baskets of earth. Archeological sampling shows the builders mixed different types of earth to create a more stable structure. The mound’s persistence confirms the builders’ wisdom.
Twelve hundred years of erosion and overgrowth contrast with this Park depiction of the Great Mound in it’s heyday
Photo: Jed Dillard
Artifacts show the site was occupied up to 12, 000 years ago, long before the mound was built. The mound’s builders are believed to have been members of the late Swift Creek (200-450 A.D.) and early to middle Weeden Island cultures, a group of Native Americans who lived in North Florida between 450 and 900 A.D. Other authorities have suggested the mound was more of the style of later cultures, for example the Mississippians. Either way, these were relative new comers compared to the Paleoindians. Paleoindian tool marks were found on a mastodon tusk from the Aucilla River bottom and a stone point was found in the skull of a Bison antiquus raised from the Wacissa River bottom. Bison antiquus is believed to have disappeared around 10,000 years ago and the mastodon tusk was carbon dated as 12,000 years old.
The Letchworth-Love Mounds archeological site in western Jefferson County preserves Mound 1, as it’s called in documents. Discovered in 1932, but officially unrecorded until 1975, the mound is surrounded by over twenty mounds outside the park in the area on the shore of Lake Miccosukee. The Lake Jackson Mounds Archeological State Park north of Tallahassee is believed to be a later, separate settlement.
At the height of its functions, the immediate Great Mound complex had 10 smaller mounds and two plazas. The Mound itself had two side platforms, an earthen ramp and a peak styled similar to Meso-American structures. The main village was to the south of the complex near Lloyd Creek. Other high ground near water in the county hold evidence of at least temporary camps and towns.
Now the capital of Florida civilization is 30 miles west in another skyscraper, and the chiefs are debating ownership of the artifacts from the oldest capital. Wouldn’t this be a good time to learn more about our history?
The park is located on South Sun Ray Road off US 90 and is open from sunrise to sunset. Don’t expect a crowd.
