Kayaking in Key West

My favorite part of the cruise was the kayaking excursion we took the morning we were docked in Key West. We boarded a boat and headed south to one of the uninhabited mangrove islands that are part of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. Then we got into two-person kayaks and paddled approximately 1.7 nautical miles around the entire island. This is the eastern tip of the island that we circumnavigated (and I apologize for the poor quality, I was using a disposable waterproof camera). Notice how some of the mangrove trees are de-foliated. This was a result of the hurricanes that have hit the area in the last few years: The water was very shallow where we were kayaking ~ only about 2 to 3 feet deep in most places ~ and very clear. We could see all kinds of fish and marine creatures swimming around below us. Our guide even saw a small shark, and said that sometimes they see turtles. We saw a sting-ray. Very cool! We also saw all kinds of birds and vegetation. On our voyage, we paddled through a cut-through at the eastern tip of the island. Being surrounded by the mangrove trees was a little like being in a different world: We stopped to pose for a couple of pictures on our way back to the boat: One last cruise post yet to come!