Back in March we set out on a two night/three day backcountry canoe trip in the Everglades. The route we paddled was named the Hell's Bay Canoe Trail, a 9km (5.6 mile) one-way trail that meanders through the mangrove forest.
(Not even the most narrow of the mangroves)
On our first day we set out on a three hour paddle to our first chickee (a sheltered platform above the water) at a campsite named Pearl Bay.
Most of the paddle was through the narrow mangrove channels, marked by white PVC pipes (most of the time). At one point we thought we had taken a wrong turn only to realize, after having to paddle backwards back through the narrow mangroves for a while, that we were actually going the right way.
We arrived at our chickee in time to set up the tent and take a nap before waking up in time to watch the sunset. I was pleased to actually get a sunset as it was predicted to storm that afternoon, and the clouds made for beautiful colour changes in the sky. It was still very windy, but that kept the bugs away.
(Our first night's chickee - Pearl Bay Campground)
On day two we didn't leave our chickee until about 11am. We weren't in any hurry because our next chickee (named Hell's Bay) was only about an hour away.
We took our time enjoying and exploring the flat, clear waters and arrived just in time for lunch. We ate and relaxed all afternoon. We even spotted a dolphin from our chickee!
That afternoon we were surrounded by thunder. It was the most beautiful way to spend the afternoon. There was a cool breeze to keep away the bugs, and the temperature was perfect! We later received a huge downpour of rain. It was magic!
Once the rain had stopped we set up our tent and watched the sun set while a full moon rose. It was a perfect way to end day two.
(Chickee number two - Hell's Bay Campground)
On the morning of our last day I was woken at what I believe was about 5-5.30am by the loud exhale sounds of at least two dolphins rounding up fish. It was too dark to see them but I sat up anyway hoping to. My eyes eventually adjusted and I did see them! I saw one swim right by the chickee, then I saw a second one jump fully out of the water! With that, and the fart noises they were making, I can say it was one of the best ways to be woken up. Much better than an alarm clock, that's for sure!
I then stayed up to watch the sun rise while making us coffee.
After packing up all our gear we started on our paddle back to civilization. We were paddling past one of the other campsites on our way back (Lard Can Campsite) when we paddled over the top of something in the water. I thought it was a sunken canoe at first until Ryan exclaimed that it was actually a manatee! We hung around hoping to see it again but the water was too murky.
We arrived back at our van at about 11.30am (after three hours paddle time), took our rental gear back, then drove to Flamingo Campground for a much needed shower and a few drinks.
If you like mangrove forests, like me, you will love this canoe trip! It's a great trip for a first time backcountry adventure, and we saw a surprising amount of wildlife! However, don't expect to see alligators on this trip. They usually prefer somewhere that has space for them to bask on the banks, which a mangrove forest does not provide. But because mangrove forests act as nurseries for a lot of marine species you will find a lot of other animals here. We saw so many birds, marine mammals, a snake swimming, and fish. We even saw two sharks!
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