HEAVEN

As summer has approached and the oil has crept even closer to our area, we have decided to kayak as much as possible before we are not allowed to do so any longer. This past weekend, we kayaked both Saturday and Sunday. We went to our usual spot, Crooked Island Sound. Natural Resources with Tyndall Air Force Base has been monitoring the oil situation and we were told once the pass is closed, Crooked Island Sound will be closed by Tyndall. Every weekend since the explosion and as the oil has moved further east, we have held our breath hoping we would get one more chance to kayak in our little slice of Heaven.

Saturday was gorgeous and we spent time on both the west and east sides of the sound. We saw several sea turtles including some rather small ones, a couple of manta rays and a family of dolphins that swam so close to us we could see and hear them blowing. There has been oil boom located on the beaches for many weeks now and today, everything was calm and no sign of oil or workers. We paddled out into the Gulf to the second sandbar where the water was so incredibly beautiful it is hard to describe. I didn't want to leave and in fact, several boats approached us to see if we were okay.

Sunday was even better than the day before. If there has ever been a perfect kayaking day, this was it. The morning began with a north wind which kept the sound flat. We were able to pop our WindPaddle sails and sailed over to the east side. As we approached the shore, we could see several boats and many oil workers tending the boom. This was serious and very disturbing to see. We pulled our kayaks on shore and walked down the beach to look for shells. Rounding the point we came across a piece of charred styrofoam. Believing it may have come from the Deep Water Horizon or at least had floated through the fire in the Gulf, we called the oil workers over where they examined it and then called another crew to come look at it and then a hazmat crew came to bag it up. All this took place in about a 15 minute period. I was amazed at how quickly they handled the situation. We continued our walk down the Gulf beach and upon returning discovered an oil covered plastic bottle. Jr. picked it up and once back to our kayaks, we put it in a plastic bag and he took it over to the workers. He was told he should not have picked the bottle up but by gosh, we were not going to just leave it on the beach.

We left the beach and headed out into the Gulf. With the north wind still in control, the Gulf look more like a lake than an ocean. We paddled around the pass and saw several huge schools of rain minnows and Jr. tried to fish. We paddled further down the island, toward Shell Island, just enjoying the calm water and beautiful scenery along the shore. About half way down, we spotted a school of fish, large fish. At first we thought they might be sharks. We paddled faster to catch up to them and upon reaching them discovered they were tarpon. I had never seen a tarpon up close and personal and that is the most amazing large fish I have ever seen. To me, they looked like gigantic mullet! We chased them several more times and saw several schools of them. Exhausted, we finally left them alone and continued with our paddling down the Gulf. We saw a sand shark a bit later and a sea turtle.

Feeling hunger and tired, we found a place to stop on the beach to have our lunch. The beach was beautiful and this was the farthest west we had ever paddled before. We were so proud of ourselves! We ate lunch, fished a little, looked for shells and swam in the clear, warm Gulf water and hoped it would not be our last time. Back in our kayaks, we headed to the landing and I must say, the trip back was just as beautiful. About half way back, we were on a sandbar and decided to see if we were in the water, could we get back in our kayaks. We named this exercise, Evacuation & Recovery or in more crude terms, falling out and getting your ass back in. The water was about chest deep on me and I voluntarily jumped out into the water. For the record, I have never fallen out of my boat, never felt like I was going to fall out of my boat and never plan to fall out of my boat, but this exercise could become necessary at some point, you just never know. I climbed back in from the side and it wasn't easy or pretty but I did it. I then jumped out again and climbed onto the back and straddled the boat as if I was riding a horse and shimmied my way up to my seat. Again, not pretty but a bit easier although the bruises on my legs tell a different story. I now know, if necessary, I can get back in my kayak safely and quickly.

Onward we paddled, back to the pass. The wind had picked up and shifted more from the southwest. Once we reached the pass, we centered ourselves in the pass and popped our sails again and sailed straight back to the landing. The perfect ending to a perfect day. As kayaking trips go, this was the ultimate for us. We had spent the entire day in the Gulf and paddled about 10 miles in the most beautiful, incredibly gorgeous emerald water one can imagine. The thought of it being spoiled by the oil sickens me. I am so thankful to have experienced the beauty of the Gulf for at least one more day. We all take the Gulf for granted and if and when the oil is stopped and the clean up process begins, I hope we will come to realize just how fortunate we are to live where we live. We need to take better care of our environment. I may never see the water like that again in my lifetime but I will enjoy it every minute I can until it is no longer possible.