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Tampa's Wild and Wondrous Backyard


Sometimes the simplest of things bring back memories of childhood: the acrid smell of seaweed, the mewling cry of a gull, and the bliss of walking barefoot on the beach. The sand oozes softly between my toes and the water is a warm caress around my ankles. We are on a nameless little island in Tampa Bay, which the locals have dubbed "Paradise Island." Thickly covered in mangrove and cypress trees, it is encircled by a sandy beach. Our group, accompanied by Sue-Ellen Richardson of the Florida Aquarium, are trolling the shallow waters for tiny marine creatures. Like kids at a picnic, we crowd around to look at our treasures, exclaiming in delight at minuscule fish, thread-like black worms, and translucent shiny crustaceans with bulging eyes. Walt, an ardent naturalist, identifies each one as they crawl across his hands. I abandon scientific note taking in favor of peering closely at them before they are restored to their natural habitat.

When we arrive at Rodbenders at the Tampa Bayside Marina the next morning, however, I begin to wonder if I'm on the wrong trip. Both my companions, Walt and Tom, are fishing and hunting enthusiasts. Their conversation with Rodbenders' manager, Pat Nolan, is about 'groupers', 'gars' and 'tarpon'. As far as I'm concerned they might just as well be discussing the relative merits of the Sasquatch versus the Yeti. An assortment of tackle, bait, rods, lines and books on fishing lore crams Rodbenders' shelves; the walls are adorned with pictures of every conceivable piscine that swims, slithers or crawls. Pat turns to me. "So you're from Vancouver? Salmon capital of the world, huh?" I shamefacedly admit that I don't know one end of a fishing rod from another. I add brightly: "But I'd like to take a look at Tampa Bay's marine life, so maybe I'll just tag along with my binoculars…"

Pat beams. "Hey, no need for that. I have just the guide for you. Mike is our wildlife expert. He'll take you on an eco-tour while these two guys go fishing."

A light heat haze lies over the Bay, but the waters, a pale aquamarine, are clear and so shallow that I feel almost as though I'm looking through a pane of glass at the ocean floor. Manta rays, like swift dark clouds, glide just under the surface, and stingrays, blending in with the color of the sand below, lie in wait for their prey. As we throttle up to full speed, the wind, tangy with salt-spray, whips against my face and I hang onto my hat.

We slow down to look at a group of pelicans, dignified as an assembly of university professors. Further along, snowy egrets pick their way daintily along mud-flat beaches, pecking fastidiously at their breakfast of algae, and off to one side, a shoal of porpoises, leap and frolic in the sun-speckled waters. Weedon Island is a 1,000-acre bird sanctuary, and as we head into one of its mangrove-fringed lagoons, thick sea-grasses, brush against the keel. Mike cuts the motor, jumps off the bow and wades through knee-deep water, dragging the boat behind him. "Take a look there," he says pointing. I raise my binoculars, and zoom in on a family of roseate spoonbills, their feathers bright pink against the foliage. On the opposite bank, a white ibis poses obligingly for my camera, and as I shade my eyes against the sun, a blue heron soars splendidly into flight above the tree line.

Back at dockside, the guys are exultant about their morning out on the Bay. "Man, the waters are just jumping with fish," says Walt, excited as a kid who has just seen Santa. "Caught three groupers, bang, bang, bang…one after another!" A shout from Mike draws us to the edge of the dock. He is holding up a blue crab, a beautiful creature, with blue claws and an orangey-brown and blue speckled shell. "Bad-tempered little critters," Mike says. "You wouldn't want them to take a nip at your fingers…they can do serious damage. Pity we can't have it for lunch. Blue crab is delicious!" He chucks it regretfully back into the water, and the crab beats a hasty retreat.

Which is what I am inclined to do the following morning.

What was I thinking of when I agreed to a canoeing trip down the alligator infested Hillsborough River? I don't swim, and the thought of a frail canoe being the only thing between me and the jaws of a snapping gaitor makes me quail. But it's too late to chicken out now. Joe Faulk, owner of Canoe Escapes, helps me don a life jacket, and assures me that in all his eight years of operation he hasn't had a fatality yet. I bite my lip and hope that I won't be the exception that proves the rule.

As it turns out, however, it is a lovely, tranquil glide through a bottle- green world of swamp cypress forests, with trailing fronds of flowering creepers and marsh grasses, fringing the water's edge. Sitting between Walt who is up front, and Joe who is behind me, both of them wielding paddles, I am free to aim my binoculars at everything that moves, and some that doesn't. A speckled black and white limpkin settles to feed at the water's edge. "Lucky shot," says Joe as I lower my camera. "They are an endangered species, and rarely seen around here."

He maneuvers the canoe past half-submerged driftwood, some of them serving as sun decks for families of black turtles. While it is too early in the day for mom and pop alligators to be out in their backyards, their progeny — small and cute (yes cute!) green gaitors — lie torpid as logs, twinned by their reflections in the clear water. The river, sinuous and smooth, smells of wet bark and marsh mud. Normally the color of tea (stained by tannic acid leached from rotting swamp vegetation) the Hillsborough river through this stretch, is so shallow that even a midget — let alone someone of my generous proportions — would have a hard time drowning in it. Walt lets out a series of excited yelps as he spots several bass swimming just below the surface of the water, almost close enough to reach in and scoop out by hand.

At journey's end, two hours later, I climb reluctantly (and stiffly) out of the canoe. Joe shakes my hand in farewell. "So, how did you enjoy being Queen of the River?" he asks, his eyes twinkling. "C'est Magnifique!" I reply.

When You Go:

Best Time of Year:

Between September and March. During the summer months of April to August, temperatures in Tampa Bay soar to uncomfortable levels. They also experience tropical downpours and spectacular thunderstorms. One restaurant I dropped into called "Thunder Bay" had nothing to do with our Ontario city, but was descriptive of Tampa's tempestuous summer weather when the great god Thor hurls spears of lightning across the Bay. The waiter looked nonplussed when I suggested a change of name to "Bay-side Thor-o-Fare." Oh well…

Where to Stay:

Chase Suite Hotel
3075 N. Rocky Point Drive
Tampa Florida 33607
Ph: 1-813-281-5677
Toll Free Ph: 1-877-433-9644
Fax: 1-813-289-0266

Conveniently situated fifteen minutes drive away from the airport, Chase Suite Hotel is a mid-range priced hotel. It offers self-contained suites with fully equipped kitchens, desk/work areas and maid service. Included in the tariff is a generous complimentary breakfast, daily social hour (wine, beer & hors d'oeuvres), membership privileges at Bally's Health Club and transportation within a 5-mile radius of the hotel. Facilities include an outdoor heated pool, spa and sports court and executive meeting rooms accommodating up to 20 people. Prices vary according to accommodation and seasonal availability. Phone or fax for further information. Or visit their site at: www.woodfinsuitehotels.com.

Where to Eat:

Tampa boasts a variety of upscale restaurants, but if you're looking for something different, drop into Skippers Smokehouse Restaurant & Oyster Bar located at the corner of Skipper Road & Nebraska Avenue. Phone: (813) 971-0666.

Apart from serving such local curiosities as black bean gaitor chili, alligator ribs, fried gaitor tail, catfish, shark, conch, jerk chicken and Louisiana mudbugs, this is a funky shack-like joint where the walls are papered in pamphlets of rock, country and jazz groups, the tables are trestle-like, toilets are pioneer style (they do flush, however!), and the music is more charged than the light sockets. The dance floor is located outside the main building, under the branches of an old oak tree draped with Spanish moss; the lighting is that of the moon, aided by strands of colored bulbs which are festooned over everything, and the place is packed with people — stomping to reggae, ska, rock, New Orleans blues, folk and 60's style jazz. Visit www.skipperssmokehouse.com to find out which group from across the globe (or maybe just next door) is next scheduled to set the dance floor smoking.

What to Do:

Rodbenders
Tampa Bayside Marina
5200 West Tyson Avenue
Tampa Florida 33611
Ph: 1-813-223-7754
Toll Free Ph: 1-800-872-9880
Fax: 1-813-223-7085

Rodbenders carries everything on planet Earth by way of quality rods, reels, bait, fly-fishing, fly-tying equipment, fishing accessories, sports apparel and gift items. They organize fishing trips accompanied by expert guides and cater to small groups as well as large corporate charters. Their boats and crew are equipped to handle inshore trips, as well as expeditions to the Bay's offshore fishing grounds. For more information visit their comprehensive website at www.rodbenders.com. Maps showing their Bayside Marina location is also linked to this site.

Canoe Escapes Inc.
9335 East Fowler Avenue,
Thonotosassa Florida 33592
Ph: 1-813-986-2067
Email: info@canoeescape.com

Canoe Escapes is located 12 miles from downtown Tampa. Their website at www.canoeescape.com provides information on how to get there, details of wildlife viewing along the Hillsborough river, canoe rental rates and timings.

 

We slow down to look at a group of pelicans, dignified as an assembly of university professors. Further along, snowy egrets pick their way daintily along mud-flat beaches, pecking fastidiously at their breakfast of algae, and off to one side, a shoal of porpoises, leap and frolic in the sun-speckled waters. Weedon Island is a 1,000-acre bird sanctuary, and as we head into one of its mangrove-fringed lagoons, thick sea-grasses, brush against the keel. Mike cuts the motor, jumps off the bow and wades through knee-deep water, dragging the boat behind him. "Take a look there," he says pointing. I raise my binoculars, and zoom in on a family of roseate spoonbills, their feathers bright pink against the foliage. On the opposite bank, a white ibis poses obligingly for my camera, and as I shade my eyes against the sun, a blue heron soars splendidly into flight above the tree line.

Back at dockside, the guys are exultant about their morning out on the Bay. "Man, the waters are just jumping with fish," says Walt, excited as a kid who has just seen Santa. "Caught three groupers, bang, bang, bang…one after another!" A shout from Mike draws us to the edge of the dock. He is holding up a blue crab, a beautiful creature, with blue claws and an orangey-brown and blue speckled shell. "Bad-tempered little critters," Mike says. "You wouldn't want them to take a nip at your fingers…they can do serious damage. Pity we can't have it for lunch. Blue crab is delicious!" He chucks it regretfully back into the water, and the crab beats a hasty retreat.

Which is what I am inclined to do the following morning.

What was I thinking of when I agreed to a canoeing trip down the alligator infested Hillsborough River? I don't swim, and the thought of a frail canoe being the only thing between me and the jaws of a snapping gaitor makes me quail. But it's too late to chicken out now. Joe Faulk, owner of Canoe Escapes, helps me don a life jacket, and assures me that in all his eight years of operation he hasn't had a fatality yet. I bite my lip and hope that I won't be the exception that proves the rule.

As it turns out, however, it is a lovely, tranquil glide through a bottle- green world of swamp cypress forests, with trailing fronds of flowering creepers and marsh grasses, fringing the water's edge. Sitting between Walt who is up front, and Joe who is behind me, both of them wielding paddles, I am free to aim my binoculars at everything that moves, and some that doesn't. A speckled black and white limpkin settles to feed at the water's edge. "Lucky shot," says Joe as I lower my camera. "They are an endangered species, and rarely seen around here."

He maneuvers the canoe past half-submerged driftwood, some of them serving as sun decks for families of black turtles. While it is too early in the day for mom and pop alligators to be out in their backyards, their progeny — small and cute (yes cute!) green gaitors — lie torpid as logs, twinned by their reflections in the clear water. The river, sinuous and smooth, smells of wet bark and marsh mud. Normally the color of tea (stained by tannic acid leached from rotting swamp vegetation) the Hillsborough river through this stretch, is so shallow that even a midget — let alone someone of my generous proportions — would have a hard time drowning in it. Walt lets out a series of excited yelps as he spots several bass swimming just below the surface of the water, almost close enough to reach in and scoop out by hand.

At journey's end, two hours later, I climb reluctantly (and stiffly) out of the canoe. Joe shakes my hand in farewell. "So, how did you enjoy being Queen of the River?" he asks, his eyes twinkling. "C'est Magnifique!" I reply.

When You Go:

Best Time of Year:

Between September and March. During the summer months of April to August, temperatures in Tampa Bay soar to uncomfortable levels. They also experience tropical downpours and spectacular thunderstorms. One restaurant I dropped into called "Thunder Bay" had nothing to do with our Ontario city, but was descriptive of Tampa's tempestuous summer weather when the great god Thor hurls spears of lightning across the Bay. The waiter looked nonplussed when I suggested a change of name to "Bay-side Thor-o-Fare." Oh well…

Where to Stay:

Chase Suite Hotel
3075 N. Rocky Point Drive
Tampa Florida 33607
Ph: 1-813-281-5677
Toll Free Ph: 1-877-433-9644
Fax: 1-813-289-0266

Conveniently situated fifteen minutes drive away from the airport, Chase Suite Hotel is a mid-range priced hotel. It offers self-contained suites with fully equipped kitchens, desk/work areas and maid service. Included in the tariff is a generous complimentary breakfast, daily social hour (wine, beer & hors d'oeuvres), membership privileges at Bally's Health Club and transportation within a 5-mile radius of the hotel. Facilities include an outdoor heated pool, spa and sports court and executive meeting rooms accommodating up to 20 people. Prices vary according to accommodation and seasonal availability. Phone or fax for further information. Or visit their site at: www.woodfinsuitehotels.com.

Where to Eat:

Tampa boasts a variety of upscale restaurants, but if you're looking for something different, drop into Skippers Smokehouse Restaurant & Oyster Bar located at the corner of Skipper Road & Nebraska Avenue. Phone: (813) 971-0666.

Apart from serving such local curiosities as black bean gaitor chili, alligator ribs, fried gaitor tail, catfish, shark, conch, jerk chicken and Louisiana mudbugs, this is a funky shack-like joint where the walls are papered in pamphlets of rock, country and jazz groups, the tables are trestle-like, toilets are pioneer style (they do flush, however!), and the music is more charged than the light sockets. The dance floor is located outside the main building, under the branches of an old oak tree draped with Spanish moss; the lighting is that of the moon, aided by strands of colored bulbs which are festooned over everything, and the place is packed with people — stomping to reggae, ska, rock, New Orleans blues, folk and 60's style jazz. Visit www.skipperssmokehouse.com to find out which group from across the globe (or maybe just next door) is next scheduled to set the dance floor smoking.

What to Do:

Rodbenders
Tampa Bayside Marina
5200 West Tyson Avenue
Tampa Florida 33611
Ph: 1-813-223-7754
Toll Free Ph: 1-800-872-9880
Fax: 1-813-223-7085

Rodbenders carries everything on planet Earth by way of quality rods, reels, bait, fly-fishing, fly-tying equipment, fishing accessories, sports apparel and gift items. They organize fishing trips accompanied by expert guides and cater to small groups as well as large corporate charters. Their boats and crew are equipped to handle inshore trips, as well as expeditions to the Bay's offshore fishing grounds. For more information visit their comprehensive website at www.rodbenders.com. Maps showing their Bayside Marina location is also linked to this site.

Canoe Escapes Inc.
9335 East Fowler Avenue,
Thonotosassa Florida 33592
Ph: 1-813-986-2067
Email: info@canoeescape.com

Canoe Escapes is located 12 miles from downtown Tampa. Their website at www.canoeescape.com provides information on how to get there, details of wildlife viewing along the Hillsborough river, canoe rental rates and timings.