Bay Soundings l Tampa Bay's Science and Nature News Journal

The science of habitat restoration takes on an entirely different look when you’re perched on a kayak floating just above the water line. It’s one thing to know that thousands of acres of waterfront lands on Tampa Bay’s eastern shore have been set aside as nature preserves. It’s another to glide across the calm waters of Cockroach Bay protected from rough seas by a series of mangrove islands.

We launch from the end of Cockroach Bay Road, welcomed by the splash of a lone dolphin. Naturalist John Sarkozy, who leads kayak tours in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas through the American Littoral Society, paddles off with an even dozen boats bobbing behind him to explore the inland wonderland.

Giant silver mullet splash across the calm waters, probably because something even larger is chasing them. Sarkozy identifies the distinct machine-gun cry of a kingfisher before it comes into sight. It lands near the top of a mangrove to watch our approach, but leaves before we get close enough for a picture.

Kingfishers, Sarkozy said, are noisy birds but shy. Highly territorial, they perch on upper branches of mangroves to watch for prey, then dive straight down to spear small fish. They’re common in coastal Tampa Bay during winter months, but return to more northern climes to nest in the spring.

Mangroves Thriving

Photo: Victoria Parsons

Sometimes called mangrove cathedrals for their arched ceilings and silent majesty, the tunnels allow fresh and saltwater to mix, creating the low-salinity habitat necessary for many fish.

The outer fringe of mangroves that separates Cockroach and Tampa Bay is growing just as it has for decades, but even the mangroves themselves may be relative newcomers. Long-time residents say Tampa Bay was once ringed by sandy beaches rather than the trees and marshes we see today. Increased nutrients may have increased the number of mangroves that now grow along 15,000 acres of shoreline bordering the bay and its tributaries.

While Tampa Bay is the northern limit for two of the state’s mangrove species, the trees at Cockroach Bay show no signs of damage from last winter’s record-setting cold. That’s probably due to the warming influence of Tampa Bay, Sarkozy said. Mangroves further south, in Sarasota Bay and Venice, were severely burned and are just now starting to recover.

From the shore or the air, mangrove islands appear to be an impenetrable mass of green. Closer in, marked trails lead through mangrove cathedrals formed by a canopy of branches that meet overhead in an arch that sometimes drops so low that you crouch low in the kayak to avoid branches.

Some of the trails were cut as mosquito ditches, others are natural tidal streams and some were created to allow access to kayakers. Two paddle trails have been marked at Cockroach Bay. We took the northern trail that winds through mangrove islands before opening into one of the state’s most successful restorations.

Submerged lands in Cockroach Bay are owned by the Tampa Port Authority and some of the lands surrounding it were among the first purchases made by Hillsborough County’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP). In a series of partnerships, the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management Program (SWIM) transformed the empty farmlands and burrow pits into shallow tidal lagoons that overflow into series of channels and coves.

Marsh grass was planted to stabilize the sculpted-sand shore, and mangrove propagules from nearby forests sprouted. One of the lessons bay managers learned early on is that it’s much more effective to plant marsh grass than mangroves, Sarkozy said. With the right elevations, the mangroves repopulate on their own.

Nearby, left-over fill dirt is stacked high, offering visitors clear views of downtown Tampa, St. Petersburg and its distinctive Tropicana and even the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Accessible only by canoe or kayak, the restored areas are already protected from the controversy reigning over boat propeller scars in the offshore Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve. And inshore from the mangroves, most of the flats were inaccessible except in the occasional pass where boats of all sizes waited for fish to bite when the tide started to run.

The larger question remaining for Cockroach Bay and other restored habitats is the high cost of controlling invasive species. Nestled among the mangroves at the edge of the bay, an enormous Brazilian pepper is about to burst into bloom. Cogongrass and other upland weeds thrive near the restored wetlands. Just one plant can become a seed source to invade nearby lands, limiting the value of habitat in the restored areas.

But even that long-term concern couldn’t mar the beauty of the restored area on a spectacular fall morning. “It’s amazing to think that humans created this,” said a fellow kayaker. “It’s almost like Disney land, too perfect to be true.”

If You Go:

Sarkozy schedules trips most weekends to his favorite spots in Manatee, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota counties. Kayaks and mandatory life jackets are available at a cost of about $30 for members of the American Littoral Society or $35 for non-members. Many of the trips are open to ALS members with their own canoes for a $5 donation to the organization.

Some trips fill up fast, particularly during the fall and spring when visitors — both human and birds – are here for the winter. Group size is limited to about 12 kayaks.

He’ll give you a brief lesson if you’ve never kayaked before — and it’s much easier to learn to kayak than to canoe. Bring water, sunscreen, shoes that can get wet, a snack for lunch and a healthy curiosity. Upcoming trips include:

CAUTION: Although the paddle trails at Cockroach Bay are marked, they can still be very confusing. If you go without a guide, be sure to take a good chart or GPS and cell phone.