This past weekend we had a wonderful time on a one day custom session with a great group of kids. At 9:15 a.m., Hannah, Madison, Jack, Jake and Noelle boarded the Dreamchaser, my 26 foot island runner, and off to Peanut Island we went to begin the day snorkeling.
On the way there we spotted a large eagle ray foraging and were able to approach within a few feet.
While snorkeling in the shallows, we saw porkfish, bermuda chub, parrotfish, grunts, sergeant majors and spottail pinfish along with numerous hermit crabs feeding on algae growing on the rocks. Madison was so excited to see 2 very large Giant Hermit crabs fighting over each others Queen Conch shells that she took almost her whole roll of film in just a few seconds.
After Bocce and Snacks we went to the sandbar where everyone was excited to find dozens of fighting conchs, hermit crabs and giant mantis shrimp and southern lugworm tunnels. It was fun to watch Hannah, Jack and Noelle try furiously to dig one up to no avail. Everyone had a blast playing in the shallows, looking for starfish, and chasing seagulls.
From here we headed to Munyon Island to explore the mangrove estuaries, see what we could find, and take a short nature walk. Collecting Nicker Beans, sometimes called lucky beans, from their thorny pods and finding a few Spotted Sea Hares along the beach were the highlights here. We stopped and pulled one of our crab traps along the way but no luck.
By now it was time to call it a day and head back to Phil Foster Park. On the way back, “Eagle Eye” Jake spotted a bottlenose dolphin and we stopped to watch hoping for an up close encounter. It was a perfect way to end the day and left everyone looking forward to their next adventure. We’ll be heading out again soon so make sure to check back for highlights of the next trip! And remember, it’s time to get outdoors and have some fun, come join the adventure! 🙂
My daughters experience with Mike’s Adventure Camp was far better than what I had originally expected. Normally, she doesn’t want anything to do with camps as she is bored by lunch time. Noelle couldn’t stop talking about her adventure. She told me all about seeing a eagle ray while riding on the boat. One of her favorite adventures was when Mike took her snorkeling. She was scared at first (she isn’t a good swimmer) but Mike took the time to make sure she was comfortable with the mask and her flotation device before getting in the water. Noelle was so impressed by the end of it that she told me that Mike is her new best friend. She saw all sorts of shiny and pretty colored fish, she found the fighting crabs to be funny. In fact, once she got off the boat she insisted that we go and purchase her snorkeling equipment.
Noelle told me the stories of going to an island where she got a “lucky bean”, but we warned me we must be careful as the plant has spikey things to keep birds from eating the beans. She told me about mangroves and fish that eat algae. She had only one regret, the time had ended too quick.
Thank you Mike for taking the time to educate my daughter. It is amazing to see how much she appreciates the water and the nature around us here in South Florida. Let me know when the next camp has an opening for Noelle.
My daughter, Hannah, had such a great time with Mike’s Adventure Camp. She really enjoyed riding on the boat and stopping at the sandbar to swim and look for crabs. Mike does such a great job teaching kids about sealife and keeping it fun at the same time. Hannah walked away from the experience with knowledge and memories that will last a long, long time. She wants to bring all of her friends on her next adventure so they can share in the fun. Thanks Mike for sharing your knowledge with my little one.
Thanks again Mike. Jake had a ball. We’ll see you again in a few weeks!