Florida’s
The Hidden Coast
September-October 2018
The Last of Old Florida
49th Annual
Cedar Key Seafood Festival Oct 20 - Oct 21 See page 10 for more info!
Presented by The Cedar Key Lions Club
SEE PAGE 11
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Six Gun Territory’s Wild West Weekend
Lost Railroad, Florida’s Scariest Train Ride
Kirby Family Farm Sept. 7-9
Kirby Family Farm Fridays & Saturdays in October
Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street
Williston Peanut Festival
Cedar Key Historical Museum Sept. 8-Oct. 20
Heritage Park Oct. 6
Elephant Appreciation Day
Country Circus
Two Tails Ranch Sept. 22-23
Two Hawk Hammock Oct. 13
Railroads & Riverboats Exhibit
Lighthouse Tour Day
Cedar Key Community Center Sept. 29-30
Cedar Key Oct. 20
Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure
Cedar Key Seafood Festival
Cedar Key Oct. 3-7
Oct. 20-21
2 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 3
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RV & Tent Sites, Cabins • Electric, Water & Sewer •Heated Pool Hiking Trails •Suwannee River Access • Meeting Facilities Boat Ramp Nearby
Florida’s
The Hidden Coast
The Last of Old Florida
September 2018
Volume 3 Edition 5
For Advertising Information Please Call 386.719.1354 or email sales@nfmservice.com 10 Pensacola
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Download the app!
599 Second Street South St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5005
The Florida Humanities Council’s free “Florida Stories” walking tour app transports you through the past and the present, step by step. Packed with photos and intriguing details, “Florida Stories” will open your eyes to many of Florida’s cities and towns in a way you’ve never experienced before. Download the “Florida Stories” app today, available in the iStore or Google Play Store. Come along with us on a journey through these unique communities. Need help downloading the app? Visit FLStories.org.
4 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
552 1st Street Cedar Key FL, 32625 www.ncbs.ifas.ufl.edu
UF/IFAS NCBS First Annual Open House Event You’re Invited to Come Celebrate!
Sept. 22nd, 10:00AM – 3:00PM It’s official, Cedar Key has been the new home of the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station for an entire year! To commemorate this milestone, we will be hosting an event that includes: • Touch Tanks, Interactive Displays • Research Updates from UF Faculty, Staff, and Students • Informational Booths and Promotional Merchandise
See all that we’ve accomplished in one year, and what we plan to accomplish in years to come! TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 5
Levy County Historical Society, Inc. presents
EXCURSION TICKET
BELLE OF SUWANNEE
OLD FOLKS AT HOME
CITY OF HAWKINSVILLE
DREW BRIDGE
featuring the
OCALA MODEL RAILROADERS’ HISTORIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY Sept. 28, 29 & 30, 2018 ~ 10 AM TO 4 PM
Cedar Key Community Center “F” & 6th Streets, Cedar Key, FL Free Admission • Ample Parking www.levycountyhistoricalsociety.org
1st & 2nd Place Winners In Kansas City National Competition!
THE TALLAHASSEE-ST. MARKS RAILROAD
T
By Toni C. Collins
he Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad was one of the first operational railroads in the United States. The railroad was conceived and financed by leading cotton planters who needed a way to get their crops to textile mills in England and New England. It also was used by naval stores merchants and logging companies to transport their goods to East Coast ports. The Tallahassee Railroad Company was chartered by the Florida Territorial Legislative Council in 1834 and later that year received the first Federal land grant to a railroad of one hundred acres of land. Construction on the 5-ft gauge rail was approved and began in 1835 and was completed in 1837. Operation of the rail line began that year. The early railroad line was mule-drawn with wooden rails that connected Tallahassee, Florida, then the territorial capitol, with the Gulf port of St. Marks. Station stops were found at Bel Air, 2-miles south of Tallahassee; Hodgson, 12-miles south of Tallahassee; and St. Marks, 22-miles south of Tallahassee. In expectation of the prosperity the railroad from Tallahassee would bring to St. Marks, streets were laid out, neat residences built, fine gardens planted, and shade trees added. Shortly after the rail line was completed, Port Leon was established across the river and there was a dash to seek cheap government lots. The Tallahassee Railroad lost no time extending their rail line 3-miles south to Port Leon. The Florida line of steamboats and the stage lines from Charleston and Mobile established a land route to pick up and discharge freight and passengers at Port Leon. Newspapers in the North lost no time advertising that Port Leon cannot fail to become a place of principal importance in no time. However, 1841 was a bad year for Port Leon. When speaking of conditions in and around the area at that time, that time was known as the “sickly year.” A severe epidemic of yellow fever struck Port Leon causing many deaths. By the end of the year 1842, it was business as usual and the town had extensive wharves and warehouses with persons offering their services as cotton brokers. There was a tavern, a newspaper, and at least one hotel. But just when Port Leon was making progress, the hopes of its citizens were destroyed on September 13, 1843 by a hurricane. The estimated loss of property was $250,000 and all but three houses were lost and the Post Office, Custom House, and wharves were all destroyed. At St. Marks all buildings except the lighthouse were gone and fourteen lives were lost. By October 10, 1843, the site of a new town owned by the Apalachicola Land Company was formed and named Newport. The first vessel to reach the new port after it was founded was the brig R.W. Brown. In 1856, the wooden rails were replaced by steel rails, and mules by steam locomotives. In March of 1865, the railroad was used to quickly move Confederate troops in Tallahassee out of the way of the advancing Union troops. The railroad enabled Confederates to place enough men into place to defeat Union troops at the Battle of Natural Bridge. In 1983, the Seaboard Railroad abandoned the line and the following year the 22-mile corridor was purchased by the Florida Department of Transportation. The following year the longest-operating railroad in Florida which served the area for 147 years became the Tallahassee-St. Mark Historic Railroad State Trail.
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 7
In the woods or on the water
A Local Perspective
ANNA HODGES Cedar Key Lions Club Seafood Festival Entertainment Coordinator
We strive to supply ALL your outdoor needs
The Deer Camp
The Hidden Coast is... Home. A special place that I’m privileged to share with friends and family. And, each October I especially enjoy sharing Cedar Key with several thousand visitors at the Lions Club Annual Seafood Festival. While you are here... Discover your inner muse. Awaken your soul. Enjoy our vibrant culture. Launch your creative spirit. Put on your flip-flops and join us. Become a “local” for a day, a week or a lifetime.
Archery Sales & Service Hunting/Fishing Gear
Local Fresh Seafood, Oysters, Clams Mullet & More
490-4868
306 S. Main St., Chiefland Open Thurs. - Mon. 10am-6pm
One of my favorite things... is sharing music with visitors to our Seafood Festival each October. We bring a clam boat up on the beach in City Park. That’s right. A real clam boat! We outfit the boat with microphones, lights, amplifiers and, of course, the best entertainers in the area. Our Clam Boat Stage offers performers and Festival visitors a special setting for an afternoon’s entertainment. Locals know... the best way to enjoy the Seafood Festival is to accompany our live Clam Boat stage entertainment with a meal of fresh clams or crab cakes or shrimp or oysters with all the fixin’s. Everything is prepared by local church groups, school clubs and other non-profit organizations located right here in Cedar Key.
PIZZA & PEPSI
10
$ PZL10
Plus sales tax. Delivery extra. Expires 10/31/18. Minimum delivery order may apply. Premium toppings extra.
8 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
In the Marathon Station
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Rebuilding of the Lone Cabbage Oyster Reef Begins By Peter Frederick, Bill Pine, Leslie Sturmer, University of Florida/IFAS
If you have been fishing or boating in the Suwannee Sound recently, you may wonder what all the PVC pipes are marking. These indicate where construction is taking place to rebuild the historic Lone Cabbage oyster reef complex. The newly funded project was at least ten years in the making - starting with local community observations and concerns about disappearing oyster reefs in the Big Bend, progressing through research documenting the problem, a threeyear pilot construction project, and finally securing funding for a full-scale restoration project. The goal is to restore the entire reef chain with the expected benefit of buffering the nearby coastal habitats from salinity fluctuations and erosion. Can this reef be restored? This reef has lost over 75% of its oysters during the past 30 years and is rapidly losing elevation as the sediments are exposed to currents and waves. Oysters have died off because of increasing high salinities, caused by lower freshwater discharge from the Suwannee River. There seems no way that the reef will recover on its own. Once the shell is gone, oysters cannot re-colonize the remaining sand bars. But this can be changed with the addition of durable substrate. During 2011-13, experimental reefs were constructed on Lone Cabbage to test approaches and materials for restoration. What will be done to restore the reef? This project will restore about 8 acres, or nearly three linear miles, of the Lone Cabbage reef. Using knowledge gained from the pilot study, the plan is to build the reef back to its historic footprint and elevation using lime rock boulders as the base, and oyster shell as the topdressing. After construction, the reef will be 1-2 feet higher than its current elevation, and inlets (“gaps”) between reefs will be reduced. These changes should make for both a restored reef, and one that is more resilient to fluctuations in freshwater discharge and sea level rise.
Map of the Lone Cabbage Reef in the Suwannee Sound with 22 reef elements that will be restored this year.
How is the work being done? All the reef work is being done by local subcontractors. During June, oystermen were employed to temporarily relocate live oysters in the construction footprint to a location nearby. Limerock boulders (about 18-24” in size), obtained from a quarry that matches the limestone found along the coast, are being used. The reef will not be a continuous “wall” of rock, but instead will be made up of 22 smaller reefs of various sizes based on the reef footprint first surveyed in the 1800’s. Using heavy equipment with a long boom arm based on a barge, rocks are placed on each reef, building up to its original grade and reforming the inlets to their historic width. The holes between rocks will be filled with oyster shell to provide refuges for young oysters and other organisms. Several locations along the reef with be marked with U.S. Coast Guard approved navigation signs. A team of University of Florida/IFAS scientists is coordinating all work for the project. The project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation using the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement.
Barge placing limerock boulders using a long boom arm on one of the reef elements.
Local oystermen removed live oysters off several of the reef elements prior to construction.
To learn more, visit www.wec.ufl.edu/oysterproject/, or email the project team at oysterproject@ifas.ufl.edu.
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 9
Cedar Key Seafood Festival "Some Things Should Never Change"
Food • Fun • Arts • Crafts • Music & More Saturday October 20th and Sunday October 21st Over 100 Arts & Crafts Vendors Line 2nd & “C” Streets in Downtown Cedar Key Vendor Stands Open 10:00AM to 4:00PM Saturday & Sunday Handmade Jewelry, Wood Carvings, Funky Coconut Fish, Original Artwork, Fine Pottery, Great Sauces, Hand Sewn Quilts, Soaps & Lotions, Decorative Wreaths, And Much, Much More….
City Park Food Vendors Open 10:00AM to 4:00PM Saturday & Sunday
Fresh Cedar Key Clams, Luscious Cedar Key Oysters, Delicious Crab Cakes, Succulent Fish Sandwiches, Tasty Fried Shrimp, Juicy Corn on the Cob, Landlubber Burgers, Yummy Desserts, Ice Cold Tea, Water & Soda, And Much, Much More…. *Purchases Support Cedar Key’s Non Profit Organizations
Live Music Performances Cedar Key City Park On Our Very Own Clam Boat Stage 11:00AM to 4:00PM Saturday & Sunday
Don't Miss These 11:00AM Saturday October 20th Cedar Key Seafood Festival Parade "Some Things Should Never Change" Parade Route includes G Street, 1st Street and Dock Street Presented by The Cedar Key Lions Club
10 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
Seafood Festival Online Guide Complete Information On ALL Vendors & Local Merchants Download to Your Phone Today www.ck-fest.com www.cedarkeylionsclub.com
The Smithsonian is coming TO THE CROSSROADS OF CEDAR KEY! CEDAR KEY LIBRARY 460 Second Street SEPT. 8 - OCT. 20
Beth Davis Owner
434 2nd St., Cedar Key Phone: (352) 543-9779
Family owned and operated since 1991 11951 SW Shiloh Rd Cedar Key, Florida, FL (352) 543-6268 Hours 10:00AM - 4:00PM
bethjdavis@bellsouth.net Hours: 10a–5:00p Monday – Saturday thesaltyneedlequiltshop.com
Saltwater Scallop Trips Shrimping Trips
Licensed & Insured
Captain Jason Lowe 352.362.0656 www.JLowesGuideService.com | Jason@Jlowesguideservice.com
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SCAN FOR WEBSITE!
THE STEAMER SPRAY
By: Toni C. Collins When Captain Allen and In 1850, a cotton merchant his crew were released and from St. Marks named Daniel sent North, the Northern Ladd purchased a steamer to newspapers such as the New run on the St. Marks River as York Herald and the Liberator a tow boat and lighter. At a out of Boston ran articles cost of $15,000, the Spray was about the capture carrying a 118-ton, side-wheel steamer bold headlines which read, built at New Albany, Indiana. “Barbarous Treatment of With a 70-horsepower woodFederal Prisoners by Rebels.� burning engine, a walking beam, white smokestack, The Atwater was auctioned off and a single mast, it steamed in the Admiralty court for the to Cedar Key and up the Apalachicola division of the Suwannee River to Columbus Northern District of Florida on September 11, 1861, averaging twelve knots after reaching open water. the Honorable J.J. Finley presiding. B.F. Simmons of One of the first Confederate captures of a Union Apalachicola was the high bidder and obtained the merchant vessel in the Gulf of Mexico occurred off vessel for $2,400. the Cedar Keys in May 1861. The schooner William C. Atwater out of New York arrived at Apalachicola on The vessel was renamed the Lizzie Weston and May 7th seeking to purchase a cargo of lumber. The immediately became a blockade runner. Unfortunately, captain, Henry Allen, stated he went to Pensacola the vessel was captured by the USS Itasca on January for a cargo of lumber and was ordered off by the 23, 1862, bound for Jamaica with 293 bales of cotton on board. commandant of Fort Pickens. However, when the vessel made a sudden departure from Apalachicola and headed south someone discovered the Atwater was in the employ of the U.S. Government. The steamer Spray left the East Pass of Apalachicola at sunrise and ran south to the Cedar Keys.
For the next four years, the Steam Gunboat Spray operated in the vicinity of the naval station at St. Marks and played a cat and mouse game with the Federal blockading forces in the vicinity.
However, on May 12, 1865, when the flag of the United States was raised over the fort at St. Marks, the CSS Before leaving Apalachicola, Spray Captain C.A. Gunboat Spray was surrendered. The crew of the vessel Johnson took aboard a party of 30-men from the were paroled to their homes and a single Marine guard Confederate Beaureguard Rifles under Captain was left in charge. Hunter. Upon reaching the Cedar Keys, the Spray laid After several months, Daniel Ladd applied to President in wait behind North Key for their quarry. Andrew Johnson for a pardon and on September 13, The next morning, sighting a schooner in the South 1865, his request Channel, the Spray ran along-side and finding it was was granted. This the Atwater, the company boarded it and made it a move enabled Ladd prize of the Confederate government. Aboard the to regain ownership vessel was a Union officer and a company of 15-men. of the steamer Spray from the The captain of the Atwater complained bitterly and U.S. Government. demanded to know by what authority his vessel was S o m e w h a t and being seized. Captain Johnson explained that the Spray rundown and another vessel, the sternwheeler Madison out of unseaworthy, Ladd the the Suwannee River had been put under charter to refurbished the Confederate government to patrol and provide vessel and placed her back into protection to the peoples in the area. operation. The captain and crew of the Atwater, were taken prisoner and sent to Ship Island, Mississippi, to await orders for their disposal. One of the passengers, Francis Pratts claimed to be a citizen of Cuba so he was shipped to Key West to find his way back to Havana.
14 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
The Hidden Coast
Find Your Way Around
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 15
Map Courtesy: River Graphics Maggie Valley, NC 2875 | Tel. 828.944.0134
The Last of Old Florida
LocalFlavor 420 Dock St., Cedar Key (352) 543-5142
steamerscedarkey.com
Open 7 days a week Lunch and dinner Fresh Clams and Oysters
Featuring maple Donuts and bacon donuts! A Whole Lot More!
510 2nd St, Cedar Key, FL (352) 477-5022 The Pink Building
490 Dock St., Cedar Key (352) 543-8004 Formerly Carlin’s Waterfront Bar & Grille
Jake’s Waterfront Pub At The
The Marina
OPEN 7:30AM–10PM • 7 Days a Week
262 3rd St. • Horseshoe Beach (352) 498-5405 Florida’s Last Frontier
OPEN WEEKENDS
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Horseshoe Beach
1-352-498-8088 7022 SW 358 HWY Steinhatchee, FL goodtimesmotelandmarina.com
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LOGO
16 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Restaurant & contact information
Picture
LocalFlavor Cedar Key
PIZZA 543-0860
Pizza, Subs, Salads & More! “Try the subs, they are to die for. Love that homemade dough piled high with toppings. Whether it’s pizza or subs you can’t go wrong with this place. I drive 30 miles one way to get this pizza!” -Facebook Review, September 2017
598 2nd St. Cedar Key, Florida (352) 543-0860
Locally Family Owned & Operated Check us out on Facebook for weekly specials! www.kathiskrabs.com
331 Dock St. Cedar Key, FL Great selection of local clams (352) 543-9992 and oysters! The grouper (Pet Friendly)
Tiki Bar We’re the closest marina to the Gulf of Mexico in Steinhatchee!
sandwich is excellent!
End your day at Steinhatchee with a cold beverage! Open during scallop season and special events only
322 Riverside Drive Steinhatchee, FL VHF Channel 09 • (352) 498-3008
Attention Restaurants!
Be a part of our "Local Flavor" page • Covers Yankeetown to Steinhatchee • Social Media Updates • 70K Distribution • Available at I-75 Welcome Center • Online Presence • Published Six Times a Year
$75/ per edition Call 386-719-1354 for more info!
Attention Restaurants!
Be a part of our "Local Flavor" page • Covers Yankeetown to Steinhatchee • Social Media Updates • 70K Distribution • Available at I-75 Welcome Center • Online Presence • Published Six Times a Year
For information on our next edition call
386-719-1354 TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 17
Salty Kayakers’“Tidal Secrets” –
You Can Paddle Downstream Both Ways Old Salty Kayakers tell tall tales, but unlike grandpa telling us “I walked to school every day, uphill both ways”, Salties are correct that they can paddle out and back riding with the current both ways. Planning around the tides and paying attention to the weather you can take advantage of tidal current, winds and waves. Fun examples: Laguna Madre, South Padre Island, Texas – The intercoastal waterway is a favorite destination for kite boarders from around the world. I took advantage of an outgoing tide to carry me 3 miles across the bay in my Wilderness Systems Ride kayak with a foot pedal-controlled rudder. When I was ready to head back to the launch point I held open my windbreaker and sailed the three miles back to my Jeep steering with my feet.
paddles served as rudder and brace to keep us oriented on the waves. Hiking the Ocean Bottom in Horseshoe Beach, FL – My favorite excursion occurs at Spring Tides. I paddle out to the ship channel with the tide to the small palm tree ½ mile from the Marina and tie my kayak to the palm tree or scrub bush. Then at low tide, I hike about ¼ mile along the exposed channel bank looking at hermit crabs and other wildlife. Boats pass within a few feet and we all exchange waves. Incoming tide brings me home with a stop at Rustler Island’s beach.
Check the Tidal Facts. Note that the time between high tide and low tide is 6 hours and 12.5 minutes. Straddling high tide or low tide by two or three hours is a good way to “paddle downstream both ways”. During Neap Tides, at Mile 31 Suwannee River Reversal – We lived just one quarter moons, the tidal range is much lower. mile downstream from Fanning Springs. During These slack tides are great for exploring for Spring Tides, the river slows and sometimes longer periods. reverses flow. Kayak diving yielded several anchors and a fun swim with five sturgeon on Come “tag along” with me at The Marina in one scuba dive. They also led me to a 25 hp Horseshoe Beach. Check their Facebook page outboard that I recovered two weeks later and for my photos, videos and schedule. We rent returned to the owner. and sell kayaks through “The Kayak Experience”. Scalloping at Pepperfish Key via Cow Creek at the Road to Nowhere – The bridge over Cow offered space to park and a nice beach to launch the Tarpon 140 kayak. Having paddled out once before, I knew Jeff Cary, Jeff.Cary@CaryOnDestinations.com, (352) 440-2056 the channels, the currents and the depth at low The Marina In Horseshoe Beach, FL, (352) 498-5405 and high tide. I used the outgoing tide to paddle and drift out. At low tide I snorkeled around and found scallops to video and headed back in with the rising high tide. Fetching a Ride on the Suwannee – There is a long straight stretch of river where winds ahead of a front build waves 1 to 2 feet high. My daughter and I took two sea kayaks out and surfed the waves. As the current carried us downriver, the wind-blown waves carried us upriver leaving us stationary to the shore for 20 minutes. Our
18 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
Rapture Island - Horseshoe Beach, FL May 11, 2018 High Tide 11:18 AM
Low Tide 6:04 PM
Ship Channel - Horseshoe Beach, FL May 11, 2018 High Tide
Tidal Facts o o o
Low Tide
o
Tide – The rising and falling of the ocean level at a coast due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. Spring Tide, Highest tide range - When sun, moon and earth line up (Full Moon and New Moon). Actually a few days after due to astronomical reasons. Neap Tide, Lowest tide range – When the sun and moon are at right angles and the forces tend to cancel out. (At Quarters, 7 days after Spring Tide.)
o
o
o o
HIGH TIDE
Partial Solar Eclipse 8/21/2017
LOW TIDE
Time-Lapse Shoot May 11, 2018
LOW TIDE
Ship Channel Hike May 11, 2018
o
Lunar Month – 29.53 days, or 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds. The time between two full moons or new moons. Semidiurnal Rhythm – Two high and two low water levels in each tidal day of 24 hours and 50 minutes. High to low tide 6 hours and 12.5 minutes. Tide Range - Change from high to low level. Florida Keys 1 to 2 feet. Bay of Fundy in New England 10 at Providence to 22 feet (at Calais) Strongest Tides – Early January when Earth is closest to the Sun (perihelion). Weakest Tides – Early July when Earth is furthest from the sun (aphelion). King Tides – Non-scientific term for year’s highest tide, around early January at full moon and new moon.
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 19
Cedar Key Country Store 598 2nd Street | Cedar Key, FL | 352.543.9697 Hours: 10-5 Thur, Fri, Sat, Mon • 11-3 Sun
Levy County Quilt Museum 11050 NW 10th Ave. Chiefland, FL 352-493-2801 www.levycountyquiltmuseum.org
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 – 3 Free Admission | Free Parking RV’ers Welcome | Large Parking Area
Locally Made Items, Island Home Décor, Memorabilia, Jewelry, Unique Finds & So Much More! • 7 Wildlife Management Areas • 9 Public Boat Ramps for small boats and kayak/canoe launching • Phenomenal Fishing and Scalloping • Restaurants, lodging, gift shops, grocery, hardware & marinas • Year round events and more! www.steinhatcheechamber.com
Photo Courtesy of: Kim Kennedy @simplysteinhatchee
We offer guides for fishing & scallop season, vacation, boat and kayak rentals and restaurants for both Jena and Steinhatchee. Steinhatchee is the place to settle for a night, a month or longer. 20 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
The dolphins of
the Nature Coast
Rebecca Hamilton, graduate student from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, has been working with the Cedar Key Dolphin Project this summer to collect acoustic data on bottlenose dolphins that engage in the driver-barrier feeding behavior that is unique to the Big Bend of Florida. Her research season was hugely successful, and the data we collected completely surpassed our expectations! Of the 88 days in the field, Rebecca and her team got out on 46 days, which equaled 279 hours on the water! During that time they: • added more than 90 new dolphins to the catalog of known animals • made over 330 sightings and conducted 28 follows on driver individuals (those animals that start these unique feeding bouts) • collected more than 65 hours of acoustic data • identified 8 new drivers • documented approximately 330 bouts of driver-barrier foraging! Currently, the photo ID catalog (all identifiable dolphins photographed between Horseshoe Beach and Crystal River since the start of research in 2001) stands at over 500 individuals. While some of these dolphins are transients (only passing through for a few days) or have disappeared over time, the population seems to be quite robust with a solid group of resident dolphins. There were lots of calves sighted this season as well, so our resident population is growing! Thank you to everyone who helped us this summer, both financially and with your volunteered time, support, and encouragement. Rebecca is on her way back to UMass Dartmouth to start analyzing all of the acoustics data collected, and we look forward to learning more about how these dolphins communicate during this amazing foraging behavior! The Cedar Key Dolphin Project will continue to conduct bimonthly surveys in Cedar Key and Waccasassa Bay to keep tabs on the animals. This is exciting for many reasons, especially because field work is usually done in the summer, so we don’t know exactly what goes on with the dolphins the rest of the year. Do they keep foraging like usual, or do they go to a different area? We also have some exciting things coming up! We’ll be announcing the details soon for a benefit event this February in Cedar Key, and we’ll be introducing some new Cedar Key Dolphin Project products with 100% of the proceeds going towards our research efforts. We hope to see you at this year’s Cedar Key Seafood Festival (10/20-10/21) and the Pirate Invasion Weekend (11/30-12/2) where we can share with you in person all the great work we’ve been up to!
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 21
CEDAR KEY LIONS CLUB ANNOUNCES SEAFOOD FESTIVAL ONLINE GUIDE Offers Complete Festival Information on Any Smartphone For Immediate Release August 15, 2018 – Cedar Key, Florida
The Cedar Key Lions Club announces the launch of their Seafood Festival Online Guide. The Guide offers festival-goers complete information in the palm of their hand. Smartphone friendly, the Online Guide works on all mobile phones. iOS, Android and Windows mobile. The Lions’ 49th Seafood Festival takes place the third weekend of October. Saturday October 20th and Sunday October 21st in historic downtown Cedar Key. "Our Online Guide is perfect for Festival visitors," remarked Lions Club President, Mike Hodges. "It’s easy to use and filled with valuable information.” Visitors scrolling thru the Guide's menus will find:
Information on Every Festival Vendor Information on Local Merchants A Festival Venue Map Tour Bus Drop Off & Pick Up Locations Emergency Services – EMS, Police, Fire Porta Potty and Changing Stations Locations City Park Map and Vendor Location City Park Food Prices and Menus Clam Boat Stage Entertainment Schedule Parade Schedule and Route .......and more
The Lions have posted an introductory video on YouTube https://youtu.be/AYt1iALhLHo Advertising in the Online Guide links to merchant websites or Facebook pages. The Guide is Social Media friendly. It offers visitors a direct connection to Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Content is dynamic. The Guide always reflects the most recent information available. Festival visitors can add the Guide to their phone's home screen at www.ck-fest.com. This means visitors can plan their day in Cedar Key before leaving home. Cedar Key Lions Club • PO Box 68 • Cedar Key, FL 32625 • (352) 477‐1276 • www.cedarkeylionsclub.com
22 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
Fall Fishing in Steinhatchee
By: Capt Mike Farmer
Nestled away along the Hidden Coast lies the Fishing is pretty simple for the most part as you little town of Steinhatchee. A wild summer has just pursue your quary during this fall season. My bait of passed with the local waters being pounded by those choice is either a 3” Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad or in search of scallops. Thousands of folks have visited a Saltwater Assassin 5” Jerk Shad. Both of these baits our little slice of paradise here during this years scallop can be rigged on an 1/8 oz jig head. Colors should season. We really enjoyed the season and seeing many be chosen to mimic the prey that is readily available families that we had not seen since the previous during this time. Colors from solid white, green moon scallop season. It’s nice to see the town and it’s people and chicken on a chain are good choices to imitate flourish and do well but all good things must come to baitfish which will be abundant and a primary food an end and that time is near. Scallop season will come source during this time. As we move into October to an official end on Sept 10th and then it will be time shrimp will be readily available to the fish as well. To once again for scallops to take the back seat and be no mimic this bait colors such as new penny, good penny more than a fleeting memory and part of history for and copper juice are favorites of mine. These baits can the year 2018. It was a great season of scalloping until be cast out and slowly retrieved back to the boat or the rains came. The last half or so of the season we you may impart a bounce into your retrieve to add a seemed to be inundated by storm after storm, pretty little more action. much on a daily basis. This caused major problems Redfish will also be feeding up and hungry with water clarity and greatly reduced the availability during this time as well. Look to the shallows in areas of water in our region that was with a shell or rocky bottom. clear enough to see the scallops.. If you have never been to The same methods can be It is now time for fishing to step used to catch this fish as well back onto the stage and be the Steinhatchee then this is the but there is something else star once again. time of year to come join us. to try that adds some great The Autumnal Equinox will excitement to the trip. Fall usher in the fall season on September 22nd this year is a great time for top water action when pursuing and Fall will officially be here. September is a month Redfish. A bait with a walk the dog action such as a that even though turns to fall on our calendars for the Zara Spook or Skitterwalk are great choices. It takes most part summer patterns will still bring you the a little practice but it shouldn’t take you long and most success. This means deeper water, areas with a you can have the bait moving in a rhythmic side to grassy bottom from the 6-12 foot range. Which this side action that the fish can’t refrain from eating as plays well into the big scheme of things as something it passes by. Not only do Redfish love these baits but magical happens here on our waters during this time really big trout do as well. of year. A slight drop in water temperatures in the If you have never been to Steinhatchee then this is Northern Gulf region above us signals many species the time of year to come join us. If you have witnessed that it is time to head south for the winter. Our area what our fall fishing is like then you already know how just happens to be a major highway for many of these great it can be. There are plenty of places available for fish. lodging to suit your budget and taste. Several Marinas King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and and boat ramps to launch your boat as well. If you many other fish including large schools of baitfish aren’t familiar with the waters then I suggest hiring pass through our waters on their journey southward. a guide for at least your first trip. As a matter of fact I But not only are these fish passing through but they would love to have you on board with me. Weekends are feeding up for the winter on the abundance of book up well in advance so plan ahead or try to make baitfish that are headed south as well. During this plans for a weekday trip when things aren’t quite as same time our beloved Speckled Trout feel the slight crowded. I hope to see you soon. drop in water temperatures and they know it is time for them to put weight on for the cold winter which lies ahead. All of this going on at once creates some of the best fishing of the year. So many species of fish are Capt Mike Farmer | Salt Addiction Charters available at once and they are all hungry and putting 352-210-1551 on fat stores for the winter. www.saltaddictioncharters.com
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 23
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Capt. Tom Cushman | 386-623-0243 captcush357@hotmail.com
Runnin’ Out Fishing Charters
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(352) 498-2942 Riverside Spirits is a family owned and operated liquor, beer, and wine shoppe. We also carry fine cigars and beautiful sterling silver jewelry.
Contact Us About Vacation Rentals! A Local Perspective
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The Hidden Coast is... not seen. You cannot see the coastline in Chiefland, you must travel approximately 20-30 miles west to the destination. While you are here... take advantage of the abundance of outdoor activities and recreation in the area. Fishing, scalloping, hunting and swimming just to name a few.
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24 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
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Spectacular Sunsets! Fish or Crab off of Your Own Deck! See Back Page For More Information! TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 25
C atching the C aptains D rift
By: Brett Selph
In Horseshoe Beach
If Top Water action is on your bucket list the time is now! Top Water action has been the Seen here in HSB over the last month and will carry over well in to September with the return of big schools of reds. Types of plugs to go with on the flood tide or early mornings the top dog or badonk-a-donk are my first choices. As for a falling or low water I like a lipped plug that can pitch up next to cover and twitched out into the deeper pockets and then rolled under with a couple twitches and 3 to 4 cranks and repeat so that it travels just sub surface. So get out the top water gear and check the hooks sharpen or change out as needed as well check split rings to be sure you capitalize on every strike you get! Catch the Drift, Capt. Brett Up the Limit Fishing Adventures
Lion fish round up from August in HSB! 26 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
HHH FREE ADMISSION HHH Smokin’ In The Pines BBQ Festival September 21-22, 2018
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102 9th Street SE, Steinhatchee, FL 32359 TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 27
CEDAR KEY, FLORIDA
TIDE CHARTS
SEPTEMBER 2018
28 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
OCTOBER 2018
SEPTEMBER 2018
OCTOBER 2018
TIDE CHARTS
SUWANNEE, FLORIDA
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 29
HORSESHOE BEACH, FLORIDA
TIDE CHARTS
SEPTEMBER 2018
30 • Florida’s The Hidden Coast
OCTOBER 2018
SEPTEMBER 2018
OCTOBER 2018
TIDE CHARTS
STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA
TheHiddenCoastMag.com • 31
The Marina
Florida’s Last Frontier 262 3rd St. • Horseshoe Beach • (352) 498-5405 www.themarinainhorseshoebeach.com
Featuring Jake’s Waterfront Pub and non-ethanol gas. Open Fri. and Sat. 4-12 with live music weekends. We rent bicycles, golf carts, fishing poles, crab traps plus a full line of scalloping supplies. We also rent and sell Wilderness Systems kayaks!
Kayak Our Beautiful Shoreline!
32••Florida’s Florida’sThe TheHidden HiddenCoast Coast 32
DEPARTMENT
The Only Boat Lift in Horseshoe Beach!