Kayaking at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

Last week I gave a little tour of this wonderful park.  This weekend, Hubby and I went back to try our hand at kayaking.  We've never tried it before and looked forward to another adventure!

We were out there, ready to go, as soon as the kayak rental office opened for business.  We opted for a two person kayak so we could be together on this new endeavor.  (Actually, I wanted to be able to rest when I got tired!)

It wasn't long before we got the hang of it and even went under Burnt Bridge - against the incoming tide!  Soon we were paddling around Lake Worth Lagoon.

As promised, we saw lots of wildlife like this huge osprey.......

and these pelicans.  They were all out trying to catch their breakfast. 

We saw fish jumping out of the water everywhere around us.  I don't think any of the birds went hungry!

All of the sudden, whole schools of fish would jump out of the water as if fleeing some unknown predator and jump in and out of the water for a long ways.  One time a school headed right for us hitting our kayak as I screamed!  One fish actually ended up in the kayak with me.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture but I was busy trying to flip him back into the water with my paddle.

We finally reached Munyon Island where we beached our kayak on some fine white sand.  It is in an outlying part of the park that is only reachable by boat.

The tide was coming in so, on our way back, this part of the island was under water.

After cleaning the sand out of my shoes, and getting a drink of water, we headed out again.

A park ranger told us about a waterway into the interior of the island and we were soon paddling in some quieter water.

Eventually, we came to a bridge.

We beached the kayak again and did some exploring.

A boardwalk led to some boat docks and another beach.

Nature trails, a picnic area, and some signs explaining the history of the island were across the bridge.

There was once a hotel at one end of the island but it burned down almost 100 years ago.

Today, only birds, animals, and fish make the island their home.

All too soon our adventure was over and we could check something else off our list of things to see and do while we're in Florida.  One lady, who kayaks here every weekend, told me that in the cooler months she sees dolphins and lots of manatees.  She was even able to pet a baby manatee that came right up to her kayak.  Now, wouldn't that be an adventure!