Florida Explorations: Life on the Santa Fe

Events of 14 September

The Santa Fe River stretches for about 75 miles. We are anchored where it terminates into the Suwannee River. It is a very unusual River in that further north along its course it completely disappears underground and then reappears 3 miles downstream. The river drops into a large sinkhole in O'Leno State Park and reappears in the adjacent River Rise Preserve State Park. A map of the watershed clearly shows the gap in the river where it flows underground. Numerous springs of all sizes empty into the river.
I have never seen a river with as many springs as this one. They are everywhere. Underwater springs boil upward from below the surface at random intervals leaving the tea-colored water slightly clearer, for a bit. Several springs rise up a few yards from the shoreline dumping crystal clear water into the main channel.
Several miles upriver the pristine Ichetucknee River feeds the Santa Fe. Nine springs feed this 6 mile spring run. This river runs crystal clear and 72 degrees year round.

We started the morning with a dinghy trip up the Santa Fe intending to get as far as we can, maybe as far as Ginnie Springs. Many private homes and a couple of businesses spout up here and there. There are a few "no wake zones" spaced about the winding river. Scores of turtles sat piggybacked on logs along the banks.

It was a scenic trip and we were getting used to seeing spring boils at random places along the route. A bit after we passed the confluence of the gorgeous Ichetuckee River we saw the water violently boiling up ahead. Roaring along at 20 mph I thought we had found a very large spring boil. I was wrong.

I realized what it was as my engine started slamming into the rocks. We had hit rapids. WTF? This is Florida. The only rapids in Florida are on the upper Suwannee near the Georgian border. Well, no. There are indeed rapids on the Santa Fe. We skidded over the rapids with our momentum. We pulled over to the right bank to inspect the damage. The E-TEC is a stout little motor and there was no damage.
We went a bit further and what do you know? More rapids! This set was pretty violent. Now I know rapids are graded 1 through 6, with 6 meaning you will probably die. These were probably about a "1", maybe a ".5", not so bad. The problem is that I only have one prop for the little boat and it just wasn't worth blowing the prop by trying to ascend this obstacle.

As we descended the first set of rapids I brought the engine into neutral so the current could carry us gently over the rapids. Wrong! We were soon stuck fast on the rocks. It took me getting into the water and pushing with Tamara shifting her weight and using the electric motor, a lot of trial and error, and advice from a friendly guy on the river bank, to get us free. Whew.

       On the way back down we stopped at the "only gas on the Santa Fe". A combination boat ramp, landing, campground, and restaurant called Colleen's. The gas wasn't really on the river. A single rusty pump sits at the top of a long steep boat ramp. Alas it was only open Thursday through Sunday, and today is Monday. OK maybe on the way back down the Suwannee? Further downriver we found a bar named Elle Ray's adjacent to a campground and a small spring. Two backwoods characters hanging about the boat ramp there told us it opened at 3 PM. Whoopee! We had a plan for the evening.
       We settled in sunning ourselves atop the Mothership when a sudden eruption 50 feet away got our attention. It was three manatees thrashing violently around in the water. This continued for about 10 minutes. It soon became apparent that they were mating. Hmmm. These manatees were completely oblivious to everything but each other. A passing boat pulled up alongside the thrashing and it continued without abating whatsoever. Eventually the manatees disappeared somewhere into the Suwannee. So now we have witnessed West Indian Manatees mating, no such luck with the white beach manatees as of yet. Maybe further upriver?
        At about 3:30 we rolled into a deserted Ellie Ray's Riverfront Saloon. We tripled the customer count as we walked in the door. But, it wasn't long before backwoods-types of sundry description started piling in one or two at a time. The only non-males out of the 20 or so people in the house were Tamara and the bartender. The crowd was friendly and full of advice on what to see and what to look out for on the rivers. We had a good time and returned to the Mothership in the rain.

Dave, one of the least backwoods of the happy hour crowd. Dave is in the lumber business and grew up in Miami. He used to own a Gibson 50 houseboat and gave us some good advice.