Finish: 3:30 PM - on Rock Island
Time: 9:30
Daily dist: 29 miles
Total dist: x miles
Companions: None
Weather: NE wind 20 mph overcast until evening
Notes: It’s my nephew Micah’s 2nd Birthday and 6th anniversary of my Dad surviving his heart attack!
I should tell you that rocks are a strangely rare thing in Florida most of my experience in this state in the past has shown me only sand, shells, and, mud. There is a spine of limestone (ancient coral reef) that runs down the center of the peninsula, but along the coast you just don’t see much rock unless it was put there by man. So when I saw the name “Rock Island” on the map I was curious as to exactly what kind of rock this island could be made of. As I approached I was happy to discover that the island was high enough to support trees and not just marsh grass. In addition my eyes could detect the shadow of a ridge along the shore. I assumed it was mud banks but sure enough, it was rock. In fact almost the whole island is rock the same type of ancient coral reef that is seen in the center of the state. It actually still looks like coral full of holes and tunnels much like a block of Swiss cheese. The receding tide left numerous pools still full of water which reflected the shimmering sun and now blue sky, a beautiful sight indeed.
Because of the nature of the relatively featureless shore line (which is hard to get close to because of the shallows) paddling this section of coast runs the risk of being a dull slog. However, Rock Island is a jewel of an island that makes all the effort worth while.