Don Pedro Park Kayak Trip

Cape Haze,Florida: Today we decided to kayak to Don Pedro Island State Park following an article we read in a local newspaper recently. My parents have always gone to Don Pedro but I never went with. Something about spending an entire day at the beach had always kept me at home. But after reading the article, we decided it was a must go.

Don Pedro Island State Park is a barrier island state park only accessible by boat. There is a daily ferry that transports guests to the island or you can bring your own vessel. In our case, our vessel was our kayaks. We launched from the Don Pedro Island State Park Land Base along Placida Road in Cape Haze. There is a $3 per car fee to enter the park payable in a drop box on the honor system.

The kayak launch is located at the end of the road. We got lucky and the park ranger was there and opened the driveway so we could drop our kayaks off at the launch. Otherwise it is about a quarter mile portage for your vessels from the parking to the water.

While we were unloading, we had a conversation with a tour operated who gave us a couple travel tips to enjoy our day on the water.  Seems this area is also pretty popular with tours as well.

After parking the truck back in the parking lot,  we set off on our journey.  From the launching point, a straight travel across the bay will take you to a mangrove tunnel.  The tide and currents made it difficult to cross the channel, but after a little bit of a fight, we made it across and into the the mangroves.

The shallow waters of the mangrove tunnels were filled with starfish.  At the entry of the tunnel, there must have been close to a hundred of them.  As we pushed through the tunnel, we saw other sealife including fish and a jellyfish.

The mangrove tunnel takes you into a lagoon that would be great for fishing but was too deep and murky for anything else.  So we decided to head back out to the bay and onward.  The only drawback to this mangrove tunnel it is a one way in and one way out, so the way out was back the way you came.  A passing that could be difficult on busy days as its not a very wide tunnel.

When we got back out into the bay, we continued south along the edge of the mangrove towards to island.  On the way we saw a couple green heron, some stingrays in the water and a bunch of mullets jumping around.

As we approached the island, we realized we were going to be one of the first people on the island for the day.  That would be perfect for finding shells and sharks teeth.  One thing to note on your approach to the island if coming via kayak.  As you approach the boat docks, head to the left and go around the docks.  The kayak launch is between the docks and the coast and is easily missed.

We pulled our kayaks ashore and took the short walk to the beach.  We had the beach to ourselves, well almost.  There were only a handful of people there but a couple boats approaching.  We dove right into the water and it was beautiful, warm and crystal clear.

There were abundant shells in the water and on the shore.  Plenty of small conch shells, a few sand dollars and tons of shells to choose from.  We swam in the water and snorkeled for a while until my wife came across a stingray buried in the sand near her feet.  Luckily the water was crystal clear and you could see it....if you were looking closely.  They blend in quite well and all you could see was its eyes and a portion of the tail.  But it was a perfect justification on why the stingray shuffle is so important in the Gulf waters.

But that was enough sealife for my wife.  I escorted her back to the shore and we went for a walk down the beach.  There were a bunch of sea turtle nests marked on the beach and a few new ones with fresh tracks in the same.  As we were walking the beach, we watched a boat of fisherman fight a 100-pound tarpon offshore as well as a manatee swimming about 20-yards from the beach.

After a couple hours in the sun and surf, we decided to head back to the kayaks and begin our journey back to the land base. The return trip was a little harder than the journey out.  We had to row against the current and fight the boat traffic crossing the channel.  But we reached the kayak launch safely, putting the end to another great day on the water.

Don Pedro was a great hidden gem right in our backyard.  I can not wait to return in the future. I was a little disappointed with our photos from the trip.  My son's underwater camera had a memory card error, erasing half of his snorkeling pictures.  But nothing can erase the memories created on the trip.

Here is a look at our paddling trail from today's excursion.