Terra Ceia Bay and Frog Creek

June 15
Terra Ceia Bay and Frog Creek



 This trip was attractive to me because of the proximity and also for the drastic changes in scenery that happen on this trip; it is located just over the Skyway bridge and changes from a saltwater mangrove environ to a blackwater, freshwater trip- in only three miles or so! After working the night shift, I tossed my kayak on the Mitsubishi and headed South. I launched from the Route 19 bridge that spans Terra Ceia Bay, and the plan was to paddle East and find little Frog Creek. From looking at the maps, I realized that this could be a little tricky because the mangroves could be a challenge to negotiate. Not to mention, upon reading others' accounts, I would have to go in higher water to get safely across some shallow, razor sharp oyster bars."You can very easily get lost here", warned one poster about this trip. Admittingly, this is part of the allure of paddling, right? To get lost!  So I set off from the small beach overlooking Terra Ceia Bay, crossed underneath the bridge and headed about a mile or so across the bay. The water was calm like glass and the temperatures were soaring already at 8 AM. My sunblock was melting off of me already. June has been a very sweltering month this year already after the passage of a  tropical storm last week. I don't remember a hotter, more humid June that already feels like late July or August. The recent, pounding rains have muddied up the waters quite a bit around Tampa Bay, so there isn't much to see underneath my kayak. As I head into Terra Ceia Bayou and near a small bridge, the swirls in front of my kayak increase as I spook the many fish that are present here. I keep right, remembering the warning to do so as I cross under this bridge, to avoid scraping my hull on the oyster beds. I cross under two more bridges with heavy traffic on them: the I 75 bridge, I have crossed over it many times looking and thinking about kayaking the mangroves here. Soon, I take my first wrong turn.

Indian midden

Terra Ceia Bay

the mangrove labyrinth

 After being a little disoriented for 20 min. and wondering if I should head back and launch somewhere else, I find some mangroves with blue ribbons tied to them and follow , which leads me out of this initial maze. I start to notice these markers more frequently ahead;  I notice blue and faded orange ribbons which are leading me up to my destination. I pass a couple of large shell mounds, possibly Indian middens or burial grounds. I soon duck into my first mangrove tunnel in which a white ibis guides me through. These mangrove tunnels feel and smell a lot different from those at Weedon island or Caladesi islands. There are mangroves, but also other trees as well that canopy the run, and it smells a liitle fresher and less sulphuric. It is here where I have encountered Frog Creek, a freshwater source.The markers disappear, but its path is fairly obvious by this point and you can even see where the mangrove branches have been cut to widen the narrow channel.A young blue heron flies ahead of me and escorts me down the river. Soon, I notice ferns growing near the bank along with fewer mangroves and solid banks where you might actually be able to exit the kayak. I notice cattails, hyacinth weeds, and the trees change to massive oaks spanning over the water draped in Spanish moss. Palm trees are more prevalent as well.Just like that I am cruising down a beautiful, narrow blackwater creek, miles away from the roar of traffic that passes over the 75 bridge. It is secluded and I see no signs of civilization until I cross a small bridge that crosses over the creek. Something big surfaces briefly in front of my kayak and disappears again in the murky, black water. I pass an anhinga perched on a submerged tree branch, drying its wings. I hear the shrill cry of an osprey above looking for food. The change of where I am now and where I was just an hour ago is amazing.

Frog Creek

 I turn around at a point in the creek where the weeds have grown all the way across, It is possible to hack my way over and through them, but I elect to turn back. I am the only paddler today on this waterway and before I turn back, I sit still in my kayak and listen to he sounds around me and feel my blood pressure falling and my headache fading. The water feels much cooler here and the smell is refreshing. Soon, I am back underneath the US 19 bridge after crossing the wide expanse of Terra Ceia Bay, which has a wind rippling over it that create gentle swells that almost rock me to sleep. The wind in my face is a welcome change and cools me down. Huge schools of stingrays pass under my kayak, and as I cross under the bridge I see clouds of small fish darting to and fro, avoiding predators that lurk in the shadows. After 6  or 7 miles I beach my kayak and enter civilization again- but more renewed and refreshed.

This is a probable oft- overlooked and unheralded paddle, but it is quite a nice trip with some amazing scenery and changes in personality. Negotiating your way through the mangroves is a challenge in some spots and this trip also highlights the importance of doing your research beforehand, to make things more enjoyable. It always helps to familiarize yourself with the tides and use them to your benefit. It is a small slice of the variety Florida has to offer for kayakers.