Florida: Wildlife Lover's Paradise
Silver Lake is a gorgeous, crystal clear spring-fed lake in Central Florida. It has been a popular tourist destination since at least the late 1870s. We recently took a guided kayak trip on the river, and the natural beauty of the area is breathtaking.
Wild Monkeys
Wild Rhesus Monkeys, Silver Lake, Florida
We saw countless wild Rhesus monkeys along the shores of the river, who have been known to snatch food off of passing kayaks. It is illegal and unnecessary to feed the monkeys, who have adapted very well to their new home over the last several decades. They are originally from South Asia, and there are a couple of different stories about how they got to Florida. Some claim the monkeys escaped during the filming of a Tarzan movie.
Six Tarzan movies have been filmed in the area, as well as many other Hollywood movies and television series. The Seven Swans, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Rebel Without a Cause, Thunderball, the James bond film Moonraker, and several other movies have been filmed there. Hundreds of episodes of the TV series Sea Hunt were also filmed at Silver Lake, along with an episode of Crocodile Hunter with Steve Irwin.
Wikipedia claims the Tarzan movie escapees rumor is false, and that a local tour operator named Colonel Tooey brought the monkeys to the area in the 1930s. He wanted to enhance his jungle tours, and mistakenly thought he could confine the monkeys to an island. It turns out that Rhesus monkeys are excellent swimmers, and they soon made their way to the adjacent swamplands.
There is another feral monkey colony on Morgan Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Some people want to get rid of the Silver Lake area monkeys because they are not native to Florida. Although I am opposed to yanking native species from their natural habitat, I think now that they are here, the monkeys should be left alone.
Six Tarzan movies have been filmed in the area, as well as many other Hollywood movies and television series. The Seven Swans, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Rebel Without a Cause, Thunderball, the James bond film Moonraker, and several other movies have been filmed there. Hundreds of episodes of the TV series Sea Hunt were also filmed at Silver Lake, along with an episode of Crocodile Hunter with Steve Irwin.
Wikipedia claims the Tarzan movie escapees rumor is false, and that a local tour operator named Colonel Tooey brought the monkeys to the area in the 1930s. He wanted to enhance his jungle tours, and mistakenly thought he could confine the monkeys to an island. It turns out that Rhesus monkeys are excellent swimmers, and they soon made their way to the adjacent swamplands.
There is another feral monkey colony on Morgan Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Some people want to get rid of the Silver Lake area monkeys because they are not native to Florida. Although I am opposed to yanking native species from their natural habitat, I think now that they are here, the monkeys should be left alone.
 View of a large male monkey from my kayak |
 Lush tropical foliage and a serene monkey |
Clear Blue Water
Silver Lake Eel Grass
You can see the eel grass under the crystal clear water. Monkeys sometimes pull up the eel grass and have it for a meal.
When you see white spots at the bottom, these are artesian or fissure springs that feed the lake from underground.
We spotted many partially submerged alligators all along the river, and some are up to 12 feet long. The alligators are black, and they look a bit like floating tires. They don't bother kayaks, but you should keep your dogs and toddlers at home.
Motor boats tend to scare away the alligators, and they leave the stench of exhaust in the air. It would be nice if they prohibited motor boats from this small, pristine lake, I think.
When you see white spots at the bottom, these are artesian or fissure springs that feed the lake from underground.
We spotted many partially submerged alligators all along the river, and some are up to 12 feet long. The alligators are black, and they look a bit like floating tires. They don't bother kayaks, but you should keep your dogs and toddlers at home.
Motor boats tend to scare away the alligators, and they leave the stench of exhaust in the air. It would be nice if they prohibited motor boats from this small, pristine lake, I think.
Wood Duck
Wood Duck, Silver Lake, Florida
There are many gorgeous birds in Florida, and Silver Lake is no exception. We saw Great White Egrets and Anhinga all along the river, along with various species of ducks.
The photo (left) is of the Wood Duck, which is common in Florida. To make the most of your kayaking experience, I recommend taking a guided tour with Jenny and Kenny of Florida Nature Adventures.
Your tour guide will give you details about the local wildlife, and they are attuned to spotting things we definitely would have missed. They also warned us about low hanging wasp colonies, which are more of a problem for the unsuspecting kayaker than the gators!
After our trip, we stopped at a shopping center to have Mexican food, and met some Muscovy ducks and a stork. I nicknamed the Muscovy "puppy ducks" because they wag their tail feathers and beg for food like a dog. They are friendly and although they are not conventionally beautiful, they are endearing.
The photo (left) is of the Wood Duck, which is common in Florida. To make the most of your kayaking experience, I recommend taking a guided tour with Jenny and Kenny of Florida Nature Adventures.
Your tour guide will give you details about the local wildlife, and they are attuned to spotting things we definitely would have missed. They also warned us about low hanging wasp colonies, which are more of a problem for the unsuspecting kayaker than the gators!
After our trip, we stopped at a shopping center to have Mexican food, and met some Muscovy ducks and a stork. I nicknamed the Muscovy "puppy ducks" because they wag their tail feathers and beg for food like a dog. They are friendly and although they are not conventionally beautiful, they are endearing.
Turkey Creek, Palm Bay, Florida
Turtles, Turkey Creek
After Silver Lake, we headed east to the Space Coast along the Atlantic Ocean, so named because of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. We visited the Turkey Creek Bird Sanctuary, where were surprised to see a sign advising visitors not to shoot the birds. Who goes hunting in a bird sanctuary?
As it turns out, we didn't see a single bird in the park. It was hot and the sun was blazing, so maybe the birds were smart enough to take cover in the shade.
We didn't see any alligators, though there were signs in the park warning us not to feed them. It is a felony in Florida to feed the alligators!
We did see scads of turtles, some of them quite large. They had gathered to collect food people were dropping in the water for them. The photo (right) is taken from high above the turtles, so you can't really get a sense of how big they were. Obviously the water is murky compared to Silver Lake.
Next we made a quick stop at Wickham Park, where we spotted a burrowing turtle walking along a path. His front feet were like scoops, perfectly adapted to digging. When I got too close trying to get a photo, the turtle hissed at me and retreated into his shell.
We also saw a black snake and some large dragonflies. If you visit the park, watch your step because there are many ant hills with at least two varieties of fire ants!
As it turns out, we didn't see a single bird in the park. It was hot and the sun was blazing, so maybe the birds were smart enough to take cover in the shade.
We didn't see any alligators, though there were signs in the park warning us not to feed them. It is a felony in Florida to feed the alligators!
We did see scads of turtles, some of them quite large. They had gathered to collect food people were dropping in the water for them. The photo (right) is taken from high above the turtles, so you can't really get a sense of how big they were. Obviously the water is murky compared to Silver Lake.
Next we made a quick stop at Wickham Park, where we spotted a burrowing turtle walking along a path. His front feet were like scoops, perfectly adapted to digging. When I got too close trying to get a photo, the turtle hissed at me and retreated into his shell.
We also saw a black snake and some large dragonflies. If you visit the park, watch your step because there are many ant hills with at least two varieties of fire ants!
 Burrowing Turtle, Wickham Park, Melbourne, Florida |
 Wickham Park Scenery |
Manatees, Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park
Our next stop was Honest John's Fish Camp, where we were greeted by an old Golden Retriever who led us to boat rental shop. We later noticed he greeted every visitor in the same way before sauntering back over to rest in the shade. There was an assortment of animals, including dogs, cats, chickens, geese and ducks, wandering around the grounds.
We rented two kayaks and headed out among the barrier islands in the Atlantic Ocean. At first we didn't see a lot of wildlife, but in one of the inlets lined with motor boats and fancy homes, we found about a half dozen playful young manatees.
They swam and dove near our kayaks, and when we grabbed posts to park ourselves and watch for a while, they swam right up to us. Two of them kept putting their heads up so we could pet them. Their hides are rough, like the underside of carpet, and they have cute puppy-like faces with tiny eyes.
We had previously spotted a dolphin that also seemed to be playing with another person who was kayaking near the ocean. A local marine biologist told us that dolphins and manatees are very curious, friendly creatures, and our experience is not unusual. For us, it was extraordinary.
We rented two kayaks and headed out among the barrier islands in the Atlantic Ocean. At first we didn't see a lot of wildlife, but in one of the inlets lined with motor boats and fancy homes, we found about a half dozen playful young manatees.
They swam and dove near our kayaks, and when we grabbed posts to park ourselves and watch for a while, they swam right up to us. Two of them kept putting their heads up so we could pet them. Their hides are rough, like the underside of carpet, and they have cute puppy-like faces with tiny eyes.
We had previously spotted a dolphin that also seemed to be playing with another person who was kayaking near the ocean. A local marine biologist told us that dolphins and manatees are very curious, friendly creatures, and our experience is not unusual. For us, it was extraordinary.
