Day 28: Homosassa: Where's the Beef?

March 2, 2015

I will begin by trying to explain just where we are. This is a useful exercise, for me, and maybe for many readers. Any confusion (or, the confusion) in my mind comes from the fact first that Dodie and not I is the map department. Second, we have made a hop sideways by car, and Ed is the car driver. Finally, we now find ourselves in a famous area, but that fame for me comes from only dimly remembered nature specials from the distant past. So we really are here and it's famous, but where is here and what is that fame all about?

Lots of cycling blogs about Florida talk of a love hate relationship (mostly hate) with U.S. 19. This road runs basically up the west side of Florida, from Tampa to Tallahassee. Let's call it the most westerly north-south route. Last year, we came north on SR 27, through Ocala. Let's call that the middle route. This year, we have chosen to follow the Withlacoochie State Trail. That is between the middle and the westerly ways.

But for today we have jogged over to Ed and Nancy's place, which is basically on U.S. 19, on the West. So why do that?

The reason is that along the Gulf Coast for a distance of about 200km is a region of Springs. A spring is a natural opening in the ground where water flows directly from the aquifer to the surface. The source of the water is seasonal rainfall that soaks into the ground. Springs form when the groundwater is under pressure and flows out through an opening, known as a spring vent. There are lots of springs all over the world, and I guess many become famous sources of bottled water. But here we are talking about springs that can deliver 6 million gallons per hour, and that can be the sources of rivers. One such river here is the Homosassa. Other spring systems here, from south to north, include the Weeki Wachee, Chassahowitzka, (Homosassa), Crystal River/Kings Bay, and Rainbow - to name just the major ones. There are about 150 springs overall in the district.

The thing about the springs and rivers that they spawn is that they are a source of warm, fresh water, and the spring vents can be rather large pond like systems, ultimately accessible from the Gulf. As a consequence, they attract and nurture what can be gazillions of fish. And most special of all, they are ideal habitat for Manatees.

Manatees come from a class of creature called Sirenia. There are Florida, African, West Indian, and other versions of this, including Dugongs. A common name for these guys is "sea cow". They are entirely herbivorous, slow moving, and gentle. And they are big. Most adults are about 10 feet long and weigh 1,000 pounds. But the biggest are 13 feet and weigh 3,500 lbs. (1,600 kg).

So here is the scene. It's Florida. It has box stores and highways and people everywhere with boats, and fancy waterfront houses. And it has all these springs and waterways, and hundreds of gentle, car sized, marine mammals. This is the source of all those TV specials - the unique manatees, the people hitting them accidentally with motor boats, and the swim, snorkel, kayak with the manatees industry.

We joined in by visiting two hot spots. The first was Three Sisters Springs. Three Sisters Springs is a complex of three spring areas, with many vents and sand boils that help feed Kings Bay, the headwaters of the Crystal River. The shoreline surrounding the complex is lined by a boardwalk, and is administered by the Fish and Wildlife department. Manatees come into the springs area, to enjoy the warm, fresh water. Also coming in are scores of snorkelers and kayakers. These people do not get their snorkels and wetsuits from or through Fish and Wildlife, but they have been dropped by tour boats out in King's Bay or have rented elsewhere on the shores of the Bay. At peak times, kayaks, snorkelers, and manatees all jostle each other to get into and out of the Springs.

When we showed up, the tide was out, and the weather warm. so all the manatees were out in the Gulf. They would not even think of coming in until they could ride in with the tide. That would be hours from when we were there. So no manatees at Three Sisters, hence my subtitle: Where's the beef?

Next we moved over to Homosassa Springs, which is the source of the Homosassa River. This area has a very unique history. In 1924, an original owner Mr. Bruce Hoover had a bridge built over the spring's pond, the "Fish Bowl", which contained thousands of fish of all kinds. A train would often stop at the springs to allow the passengers a close look at the crystal clear, 55 foot deep springs. It was rumored that the real reason for the stop at the springs was to give the train crew an opportunity to catch fish that were so abundant in these waters. A bathing suit rental nearby was enticing the brave at heart to swim in the lagoon next to the springs. Later (after 1940) the emphasis changed to one of a sort of theme park or roadside attraction.

Boats equipped with lawn chairs would take hotel guests on a dredged waterway past citrus trees and non-native vegetation and small islands occupied by Black Spider Monkeys to a zoo-like park which was filled with exotic animals such as lions, bears, hippo, monkeys, deer, goats etc. We understand that many movie star animals lived here and were filmed during those times.

The theme park attraction setup continued into the 1980's. but in 1984 the owner decided to sell, so the property would become a condo development, or something. However citizens' opposition ended with the government buying the property, and strangely, continuing it as a wildlife attraction. All they did was to change the population of animals to all native Florida ones, and to establish an emphasis on injured animal rescue. However, the boat tours continued unchanged, even using the same boats and pier.

Just as through history, the fish to be seen here are phenomenal. The best way to really see them is from a submerged glass windowed viewing structure, which was part of the original attraction. The Florida animals, especially the birds, were also spectacular, and the whole thing, now a state park, was extremely well done. The photos (when uploaded!) should show just how spectacular this whole thing was.

And oh, the manatees? -Still out to lunch in the Gulf! But we have no time to wait for them. Tomorrow it's up the Withlacoochie Trail.

Photos to come, including good wildlife shots...