When we spotted the Manatees last year we only saw one, and several days later spotted nine at one time. We are hoping his buddies are bringing up the rear.

Should anyone have other sightings or photos of the Manatees, drop us a note and we will get your information up to share with others.

Until next time….See you on the Rivers!

MANATEES.....THEY'RE BACK!

Boating or kayaking the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers you will find these big boys (and girls), and we are heading towards their favorite time of year.  As our temperatures start reaching the 90′s they spend a lot of time basking in the Florida sunshine.  They also enjoy this time of year as they spend a bit of their day hanging out under the birds nests along the river, hoping perhaps that a fledgling Cormorant may take a tumble.

The Alligators along our Rivers are used to their many visitors.  As they find their spots in the sun, you can boat or kayak  within good camera range.  It is never a good idea to get too close, and it is always against the law to feed them.  Gators will defend their eggs or hatchlings,  and care should be taken when kayaking along the banks of the Rivers where they will nest in spots of overgrowth for protection.

With the warmer temperatures you can best enjoy the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers with early morning or late afternoon departures.  From spring to fall the Rivers busy up on the weekends with boat traffic.  You will want to keep that in mind when planning your trip on these Rivers.

The draw down at the Rodman Reservoir is finally over.  The water level on the Ocklawaha River from the Moss Bluff Lock and Dam to Rodman Dam has been coming up over the past few weeks.  Although the higher water levels are a welcome sight on the Rivers, it comes at a price.  There are several new snags from fallen trees in several locations.  Use extreme caution when boating on the Ocklawaha.

Until next time…see you on the Rivers!

In the spring of 2011, we spotted Florida Manatees on both the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers.  This was the first time in several decades that the Manatees had made it into these bodies of water.  As we are approaching the months in which they were sighted last year, we hope to see them back again.

Rodman Dam was constructed in 1968 as part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.  When the Dam and Buckman Lock became operational, the  normal migration patterns of the Mantees that used the Ocklawaha River were interrupted.

The manatees move in the winter months to warmer waters such as those found around Silver Springs and other natural springs.  Somehow the Manatees found their way here last year, and enjoyed the constant water temperature  around the many springs of the Silver River.  The extremely cold winter of 2011 that we experienced may have motivated their appearance.

The survival of the Florida Manatee is one of the reasons that environmentalists hope to see the removal of Rodman Dam and Buckman Lock.  What to do with Rodman Dam  has always been a controversial issue, as the pros and cons involved affect many interests, human and natural.

In the interest of the Manatee, their existence has been found as far back as 8500 B.C..  Paleo-Indians, the first inhabitants of Florida, hunted the Manatee.  The English declard Florida a Manatee Sanctuary in the 1700′s, and Florida enacted the first protection laws in 1893

Those of us who spend time on the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers are anxious to see if the  Manatees return this year.  Please take the time to post a comment by clicking on the link below if any 2012 sightings occur.

Low water levels on the Rivers continue to be a concern, as well as the high winds the area has received recently.  Keep an eye out for downed trees and limbs as you navigate both the Silver amd Ocklawaha.

Until next time…see you on the Rivers!

Throughout the history of the River and the Springs, the Silver Rivers’ constant water temperature of 72 degrees has drawn both man and wildlife.  Many birds come this way on a migratory path, and the conditions along the River induces them to stay.  The eco-system that surrounds these birds has changed many of them from “snow birds” to year-round residents.  They have flourished along the Silver River and are not shy of boat traffic.  You can easily get up close for viewing and photos.

It is quite a show this time of year.  Migratory birds enhance the resident bird population, and as spring approaches, we enjoy observing their mating rituals, the nesting of the birds, and the feeding and first flight of the baby birds as they leave the nest.  A constancy of sound fills the air as the hawks teach their young to hunt.  The swooping and wild call of the Pileated Woodpeckers is stunning, almost primeval.  Herons, Ducks, Ibis’s, Egrets, Limpkins, Cormorants, Moorhens, Storks, Kites, Ospreys and Turkeys are some of the many birds you can expect to see as you travel the River.

Be careful while boating or kayaking the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers due to the continued low level of the water.  We are keeping an eye out to see if any of the manatees spotted along the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers last year return this winter.  The 2011 sightings were the first in many years along these waterways.

‘Til next time…see you on the Rivers!