A Kayak Tour of Clam Bayou

I’ve quickly learned that one of the most popular parks in Gulfport is Clam Bayou Nature Park. After all, it’s beautiful, home to several animals and right in our own backyard! Several people I’ve met have recommended kayaking in Clam Bayou to get to know its wildlife up close. So, this time on City Limits, Robert and I signed up for a two-hour tour with Kurt Zuelsdorf’s Kayak Nature Adventures. Robert had little experience on a kayak and I had no experience prior to our tour. But, that’s what adventures are all about.

We met Kurt Zuelsdorf on Thursday Feb. 24th during high tide. He explained safety procedures, fit us in life jackets and sent us into the water, each in our own rented kayak. Zuelsdorf used a paddleboard, explaining that he’s been doing that for years and that it helps him see the fish in the water and other wildlife easier. Well, after paddling around in small circles and trying not to run into the mangroves, we stopped for a few minutes at the beginning of the tour for a quick nature presentation.

Zuelsdorf explained what Clam Bayou is. The area is home to brackish water; water that is a mix of fresh and seawater and has more salinity than fresh water. He said it’s “perfect conditions for a fish hatchery.” Being new to this region and the ecosystems here, I was intrigued by the descriptions and the explanation of the circle of life here in the bayou. Zuelsdorf said fish lay their eggs in here because it keeps them safe from larger predators and the salinity is just right. Once the fish are larger or fully-grown they head out into the bay and the “circle” continues.

We also quickly learned about the bird species that live and frequent the bayou. Among the many facts that our tour guide shared was that the Tampa Bay estuary is home to 575 different species of birds and in the winter months, it exceeds 800 species. After hearing that, common sense set in. “Duh”, birds fly south for the winter, I just never thought that I’d be in the south to witness it!

Once we began kayaking through different areas, we snuck in through a few tight spots and pushed our way through different types of mangroves. Every turn we made Zuelsdorf had a fact or personal story. He said that we were “lucky”, because some spots we kayaked through were normally dry. We picked a perfect high tide.

One of the first “corners” of the bayou that Zuelsdorf showed us had a lot of meaning for him. He explained that seven years ago he came to Clam Bayou looking for a place to offer kayak tours and rentals. But, at that time, the bayou was not the serene vision you see today. In fact it was a garbage dump. “In seven years, we’ve pulled 200,000 pounds of electronics, TV’s, game boys, cash registers, shopping carts. We stopped counting tires after 300.” Zuelsdorf said.

He said it all started when he came back to this corner and pulled a shopping cart out of the mud. Zuelsdorf said that hole exposed another shopping cart underneath and then another shopping cart. He said the trash and filth was buried in the bayou. Over the years he found a complete patio furniture set. “We never had a clue,” Zuelsdorf said about how much trash was in the bayou at the time. He said there’s still work that needs to be done. And we could easily see that. In some areas, I saw soda cans, glass bottles, Styrofoam food containers and other trash caught in the corners of the bayou.

Zuelsdorf continued to talk about his efforts and the thousands of volunteers who’ve come out to help clean up Clam Bayou over the past seven years. We followed along and paddled back into spots that are normally not deep enough for a kayaker.

During the next hour or so of our tour, Zuelsdorf pointed out all kinds of birds, greenery and underwater wildlife. We saw woodpeckers, osprey, pelicans, blue heron’s, a yellow crown night heron and wild parakeets. Our tour guide also pointed out oyster bars, saying that’s a good sign in the water. He said it shows that life can grow in the water despite it’s dirty past.

Zuelsdorf also took us out into the bay. Within minutes, we saw three wild dolphins swimming about 10 to 30 feet from us. I was in awe. I had never been this close to wild dolphins before. The best part was that we were at eye level. I could have sat in my kayak all day and all night to hang out with the marine mammals. But, after enough “oooohhhhh-ing” “ahhhhhh-ing” we paddled back into the bayou.

That’s when Zuelsdorf look at the time on his phone and said the Space Shuttle Discovery was set to launch in a couple minutes. When it did, we saw the smoke trail of the shuttle as it lifted off from Earth. Even though we were about 3 hours away, we could still see white trails in the sky. After that amazing view, we continued on our tour.

Our tour also included a peak into some of the developed areas of the bayou on the St. Petersburg side. Zuelsdorf showed us the construction that SFWMD had been working on and the new areas for us to explore. He seemed excited to have more of that.

All in all, it was a fantastic tour! Robert and I are inspired to go again and to help clean up the environment. I want to help preserve our wildlife and ensure it will be around for generations to come. I encourage anyone and everyone to experience the bayou on the water. It’s very different from looking over the water from a deck or hill. It’s amazing what you can see if you take the time to look.