Kayak Virginia Beach

Box Turtle Rescue - Back Bay - Pocahontas Marsh

Today was warm Lower 80's the wind started out light and grew to about 10 MPH clocking to the Southeast. I decided to head out to Back Bay, and explore some more of Pocahontas Marsh. On the way to the launch site, cruising down Back Bay Landing Road, I saw something (I thought junk blowing) going across the road, as I got closer I saw it was a Box Turtle crossing the road. I jumped on the brakes, and barely missed him. I got out, and right next to my tire was a turtle with attitude, so I backed up enough to give him a view of the ditch, and a little nudge, and he was heading for the water. I launched from the VDGIF Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area landing, and headed out across back bay to Sedge Island Point. Paddling through the islands I came across some isolated patches of flowers, nothing like what we saw last week on smiths creek. The pictures came out pretty good this week, at least I think so.... I then headed east to one of the larger islands, and was kind of disappointed to see a NWR Do Not Enter sign, I guess wildlife needs it place away from us, so I headed up the shore line and broke off west towards home. While I was going though shallows I saw a lot of Gar, most of them were about 2 feet long, they were hanging out in the shallows right by the grass and reeds which are loaded with hatchlings and lots of smaller fish. Far a predatory fish, they don't seem very observant of their surroundings, because most of the time I was right on top of them ,and in some cases already pretty much past them before they noticed me and swam off. Many of the schools of small fish were using my boat as cover as I drifted along here, as I would pass by sever hundred would swim out from the grass, and follow me for a short time (10 15 feet) and then swim back into the grass, while others would swim out, I wish the pictures of this would have turned out, but all I got was reflection off the surface of the water...