Bob Swims with the Fishes

My all-time favorite first magnitude spring in Florida is Salt Springs. Once privately owned, the state of Florida now claims ownership and it's a public recreation area and is part of the Ocala National Forest with access for everyone. Thanks goodness for our state and federal governments. If not for the Federal government, private concerns would either destroy or lock up all of the great places in our nation. If you love corporations and hate the government, fuck you on toast. You Tea Party, Republican Party, Libertarian Party, and Objectivist jerks can all kiss my happy white ass.

Although it's far from the ocean, the fresh water upwelling from deep in the earth passes through some highly mineralized strata and emerges in a relatively salty state. It's not as salty as sea water, but it's definitely not fresh water as we generally define it.

Because of the mineral content, plants and animals that one does not associate with fresh water are present in the spring and its run. Sea weeds fill the basin and are home to things like blue crab and ocean-going mullet. Just swimming around and looking at creatures like crabs, mullet, and pipefish is a wondrous thing in this place where one does not expect to see them.

The day we went the weather was pretty much picture-perfect. The air was warm, the water was beautiful, and the skies were bright and sunny. After a normal amount of time in the springs, Carole and Andy were ready to head out. But I couldn't be budged. I have never before, nor since, had so much fun swimming and snorkeling in a spring. I've floated in some amazing first magnitude springs, but this one was unique. I just couldn't get enough of it.

Finally, though, as the day was wearing on, I had to admit that we needed to head back to our campsite. Reluctantly I climbed out, dried off, and we pointed the truck back to the Juniper Springs Recreation Area where we were camped.

View looking back toward the head of the spring. (Click to enlarge.)

As spring runs go, this is a short one. It flows almost directly into the river and then down toward Lake George.

A school of mullet finds salty refuge in the spring. They were everywhere, swimming peacefully with the other fishes, and with me.

Good old Bob swimming directly over the main spring vent. Below me were all sorts of saltwater plants and animals. The blue crabs in here were absolutely enormous (no fishing or crabbing allowed).

Roughly about the time Carole was expecting me to get out of the spring and think about heading back to our travel trailer. Fuck that.

The more she wanted me out, the more I refused.

"Come and get me, copper!" said the overgrown kid.

Well, we're headed down toward the western panhandle of Florida. We're planning to explore some new springs, rivers, and parks. I'll try to post as I can.

They Had to Pry Me Out

As everyone who reads this blog is aware, I prefer to vacation in the mountains. It's pretty obvious from the photos that I post here. However, from time to time I do head for the low country. I often have a great time in such places. My wife and I like to go canoeing and kayaking.

Salt Spring flows into a river that leads down to Lake George.

We've had some great excursions on the flatwater in swamps and rivers and in spring runs. And we do a hell of a lot of swimming and snorkeling when we end up where the water runs slow and clear. We really like heading down to the first and second magnitude springs in Florida. Some of these springs are so large that entire rivers gush right out of the earth at a single point to flow for many miles until joining up with a larger river or pouring into a lake.

Salt Spring and its limestone floor. You can stand in a couple of feet of water in one spot, then step off into a twenty foot hole. What a great place!

We generally spend hours in these types of waters filled with fish and offering endless opportunity to swim and float and snorkel. But one of them stands out for me. It's called Salt Spring in the Ocala National Forest in central Florida.

Hovering over the deepest hole in the spring. Below me were dozens of Atlantic blue crabs.

It gets its name from the fact that the water wells up through a mineral dome that makes the fresh water mildly salty. Salty enough so that the spring and the run adjacent to it are filled with animals you'd normally associate with the ocean far to the east. Since no fishing is allowed in the spring, these animals have the freedom to live out their lives without having to worry about the ultimate predator.

Huge schools of mullet were all around.

When I was there a few years ago, floating above the main spring, I could look down into that limestone maw and see truly enormous Atlantic blue crabs moving about in the vegetation waving in the powerfully upwelling curent. And mullet swam all around, often leaping into the air. This was such a great place that I didn't want to leave it.

Whaddayamean, "It's time to go"??!!

Like a big kid, all I wanted to do was swim around there and explore every inch of the spring. Eventually, though, both Carole and Andy got tired and wanted to go back to our travel trailer, which was parked at Juniper Spring about twenty miles away. I kept fighting them off, though, and managed to spend about two hours more in that place--far longer than we would have remained if I'd been fair about it.

Come and get me, copper!

Finally, though, they pried me out of there. I don't know of any other place I was sadder to leave in Florida. Eventually, I'll head back to Salt Spring. I'm not sure when, but the place will definitely be a destination for us in the future.