Trip Leader - Meet Al Tillson at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday May 6th at Williams Park for a 10:00 launch into the Alafia River in east Hillsborough County.
Description - We’ll paddle down the river into the Bay and out to and around the nearby sanctuary islands that the Audubon Society administers. The timing of this trip should enable us to see unusually large numbers of the nesting roseate spoonbills and hopefully the rare American oystercatcher as well as the usual ibis, egrets and herons. We’ll paddle about 3 hours at a leisurely pace with a lunch break on the riverbank on the return trip.
If conditions are good and there is interest, we can also explore some of the coastline to the south. Please RSVP on the club website to receive notification of any changes in plans.
Difficulty and Requirements - Level 2 - All boats must have deck lines, sealed bow and stern flotation, and a length of at least 15 feet. Spray skirts required.
PLEASE NOTE: Local ordinances enforceable by substantial fines as well as common sense require that we keep at least 100 feet away from the islands themselves. This means you should be prepared to stay in your boat continuously for as much as 2 ½ hours.