p on the flybridge and this is the view I enjoy while waking up. The seagulls perch on the pilings and squawk to one another. If I’m lucky I may spot a manatee swimming near the mangroves. Folks out in the mooring field are coming ashore to go to work or take a pet in for it’s walk. I will miss it.The day started out windy but calmed down by mid afternoon. Because of the early day winds, we had made the decision to take the ICW rather than run outside. We regretted the decision. Much of the day the depth finder was reading only 18 inches under the boat! We never hit the bottom but it was a pins and needles day.
We passed many mangroves today. I would imagine they are referred to as groves, but mangrove groves just doesn’t sound right. Anyway, for my gardening friends and anyone else who may find this interesting I'll fill you in on what I know about mangroves.
They are referred to as “walking trees” because the roots are above the water and it appears as if they are on top of the water. You can see how tangled the roots get which is why these plant groves are great protective areas for young fish species, and even shrimp and oysters. What amazes me is the plant is capable of living in salt water and making it's own fresh water to survive. Depending on the variety it can remove the salt from the water and secrete the excess salt out through it’s leaves or some varieties can block absorption of the salt completely at the roots. Pretty neat trick! Most of these groves are surrounded by water making them protected from predators. So an excellent spot to roost for the night or build a nest. Some groves are full of pelicans, egrets or rosette spoonbills about dusk.Ross got us all through safely and we anchored in Tarpon Basin near Key Largo for the night.
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