Kayaking, Snorkeling and Spelunking, Oh My!

From the moment we arrived at the RCMA facility on Tuesday, April 5 until we completed our spelunking late Thursday afternoon, the trip to Crystal River was an engaging, interactive adventure. The CDS 7th graders were always on the go: Snorkeling with manatees in sparkling King’s Bay, night hikes in the woods and on the coastline under the stars, kayaking alongside manatees in the gorgeous clear springs, exploring dark and eerie caves, and even hanging out with a hippopotamus all were part of the experience.

The Appleseed Expeditions guides weaved in the educational aspects – we learned first-hand about Florida’s most productive region, the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding area - and had the students riveted every step of the way.

Day 1 – Tuesday, April 5

• We loaded into two buses at Noon and headed to Dade City for some community service at RCMA, a facility for young children of migrant workers. We split into two groups, with some cleaning the playground equipment and others planting shrubs and flowers. Then we entered the classrooms in small groups to interact with the children. We read stories, participated in sing-a-longs, played games, ate snacks and made new friends before it was back on the buses and off to Crystal River.
• At the Holiday Inn Express in Crystal River we hit the ground running – and swimming. Everyone took a quick swim test in the pool, then we changed clothes again and were off to dinner at Pizza Hut.
• Back at the hotel in the evening, we prepared for our nighttime excursions. The entire group gathered in the conference room for an orientation session, including a science lesson on nocturnal critters, marine animals and the spectacular wonders of the Crystal River area – the natural springs and abundant life. Then we decorated the hard hats we’d need later on. The light on each helmet would be critical at night and in the caves.
• With it finally dark outside our group split again, with half (Group B) headed to the Withlacoochee State Forest for a night hike in the wild through the Longleaf pines, the other half (Group A) headed to the water’s edge. Group A slopped through the muck with Joe our guide, in bare feet and flip flops, to the shoreline on a chilly, starry night, netting a slew of juvenile marine species, including multiple crab species (handle with care), flounder, redfish, pufferfish, toadfish (don’t let them bite you!) and much more. Joe also gave an impromptu astronomy lesson as the stars were brilliant this evening.
• Long day! Back to the hotel, in our rooms by 11:00, exhausted.
  

Day 2 – Wednesday, April 6

• No rest for the weary: Up before dawn, we gathered for continental breakfast at 6:30. Then it was off for a morning swim with the manatees in King’s Bay.
• At Manatee Tour & Dive we watched a short video on proper comportment when swimming with the manatees, and then got into our wetsuits and grabbed goggles and snorkels. Brrrrrrrrr! It was cold this morning. But it unseasonable temperatures were beneficial – when the weather is colder the manatees come back into the bay to be immersed in the constant 72 degree natural spring waters. If the water temperature dips 67 or lower, manatees can’t survive.
• We headed out into the bay in several pontoon boats on our manatee quest. And we found them all over the place: swimming alone; in pairs; and in small groups. Manatees, due primarily to their size (typically 800 to 1,200 pounds) have no natural predators, so they are generally receptive to people swimming right up close. And they frequently move slowly while grazing for food – a manatee eats about 100 pounds a day! - making it easier to get near them. One group saw a manatee nursing its calf. Did someone from CDS actually kiss a manatee on its snout?
• After the exhilaration of swimming with the giant manatees, we cooked out for lunch – burgers and dogs - right on the Manatee Tour & Dive premises, and dried out in the warming sun. Many prizes were awarded, including several souvenir stuffed manatees. Mr. Ward named his “Smoothie.” Awwww.
• A quick change at the hotel and that afternoon we were off to Homosassa State Park & Wildlife Refuge, which is like an amazing zoo inside a state park. Lu the Hippopotamus – a revered 6,000-pound relic from when the facility was privately owned decades ago – is still a featured attraction, at age 51. Bears, eagles, wolves, foxes, roseate spoonbills, alligator snapping turtles, and more manatees, lured to the area by the crystalline Homosassa Springs, all were on hand. CDS 7^th graders walked the grounds in small groups, taking it all in.
• We were back at the hotel for a quick change before heading to dinner at Cracker’s restaurant. Seventy meals ordered in advance were served within minutes at the waterfront restaurant. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Hannah, one of our guides from Appleseed Expeditions.
• Regrouping at the hotel, we met in the conference room for an impromptu quiz show session hosted by the Appleseed Expedition guides. The CDS students were asked about everything they’d learned, witnessed and experienced thus far. Hands shot up in the air again and again as everyone wanted to answer correctly and win prizes.
• With darkness upon us, Group A and B flip-flopped from the night before. Group A headed to the forest hike and B hit the coastline to catch and observe some of the amazing array of juvenile marine species. Then it was back to the hotel and in our rooms a little bit earlier than the night before, by 10:30, even more exhausted and drained than the night before.

Day 3 – Wednesday, April 7

• Day 3 could be subtitled “just when you thought it couldn’t get any better …” Up at 7:30, after breakfast Groups A and B split up again and rotated activities, kayaking and spelunking.
• The guides gave a quick kayaking lesson and then off we went, in both solo kayaks and in pairs. The kayaking in the canals leading to the famed Three Sisters Springs was a rush, and we raced and splashed each other. There were more manatees in the springs, and we climbed out of our kayaks and walked up close – the clear water was just a few feet deep in most places. Aerial photographs at certain times in the winter have shown upwards of 200 manatees in Three Sisters Springs!
• Following lunch at Wendy’s, the groups switched activities, with Group B finishing its week kayaking, and Group A off to explore the limestone caves in the woods nearby. The guides took us into three caves, each with unique characteristics. We helped clean up some trash and graffiti, and were very grateful for our helmets and lights. Gathered in a “room” just 75 feet from the entrance of cave No. 2, when everyone turned off their lights it went pitch black. After a minute, you still couldn’t see anything, not even a shadow or outline! We learned about the constant year-round atmosphere inside the caves, the creatures that live there and explored this underground world- just 75 minutes from CDS.
• Sadly, late in the afternoon the trip was coming to its end. The buses met up, we loaded up on food and drink at a convenience store, and headed back to Tampa, with three exhilarating days of fun, camaraderie and education in the memory bank.

Thank you to all of the students, parents, administrators, chaperones and the guides at Appleseed Expeditions for making this wonderful trip possible!

Click on the manatee below to see more amazing photos from Crystal River.