Traveling through southern Georgia and northern Florida on the ICW is enchanting. Miles and miles of wetlands, with natural canals winding through them, and the ICW meandering to take advantage of existing waterways.

At this chilly time of the year, there is almost no traffic and we are alone in each anchorage we settle in for the night. Out in the marshes, away from any towns or cities, on the clear nights the stars are stunning. I usually stay outside long enough to identify my special constellation Orion and look through the binoculars to view Orion's Nebula. But then I dash back down below - it's too cold to stay out for long.

The birds are in abundance. Canadian geese, terns, pelicans, and herons. The Great Blue Heron and the White Egrets stand along the banks searching for the errant small fish to swim by. They dip down fast and come up with the fish in their bill, and with a flick and the gulp, that fish is history.

There are a surprising number of dolphins in the ICW. But these are not the frisky, friendly dolphins of open water. Those dolphins come zooming to the boat at the first indication of a bow wake or even the sound of boat slicing through the waves. They are usually in packs of 6-10 and effortlessly speed around and under the boat, swimming alongside sometimes to look you in the eye and grin. They leap and twirl and generally express how glad they are that they came your way.

The intra-coastal dolphins are lazy. Usually in pairs, they spend their time feeding quietly. In fact, they almost never come over to say hello. When I see a dolphin fin making a curve above the water I run to the rail, ready to say hello. But they never show their faces, they just sink again to slowly make their feeing run. Almost all of these seem bigger than the open ocean dolphins, and they have that well-fed look that makes one believe these dolphins know Easy Street when they find it - the ICW.

We found our warmth in West Palm Beach, Florida - and not a mile sooner.

August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November/December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
Summer 2003
Winter 2003-2004