Boating

Ocean

Fishing

Santa Catalina Island

My family has come to Catalina for vacations and outings for many years. My dad was always a scuba diver hunting for lobsters or yellowtail and white Seabass.￼￼
I recently got scuba certified and now I get to explore the underwater world. It is really quite phenomenal and words don't do it justice.￼ 
A dream of mine is to go to the Galápagos Islands and snorkel or scuba with the only ocean-going lizards, the marine iguanas.

<h1>Here we have a Mola Mola, or Ocean Sunfish.</h1>
<h2>The guy was just chilling on the surface of the ocean warming its body with the sunlight. I'm surprised that it totally didn't mind that we drove up to it. It looked so care free.</h2>

Here we have some dolphins swimming with the boat. This is actually common and something they do to play. Dolphins are really such majestic creatures. It never gets old.￼￼

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Trips to Catalina Island — @undefined's mag on Magma

Camping

Nature

Everglades City

An Evening on Jewell Key, Everglades National Park
Looking for something different to do, something maybe a trifle adventurous? Consider paddling out to Jewell Key in Everglades National Park and spending the night. Heck, get crazy and spend two!
You'll need a vessel to get there, either a canoe or a kayak. Either can be rented in Everglades City (see Resources at the end of this article). You'll also need a camping permit from the national park. And you'll need camping gear, and food and water. It takes a bit of planning to pull it off.
You find options other than Jewell Key, too. Tiger Key, Picnic Key, Rabbit Key, and Pavilion Key all have lovely campsites. I like Jewell Key because you can see both the sunrise and the sunset from the campsite. Some of the other keys have this feature too, but require a longer paddle.
On the way out look for wildlife. Expect to see exotic-looking birds, bottle-nosed dolphins, and several kinds of fish. You might even see a manatee!
This is not a summer excursion. Visit during the winter, any time between about Thanksgiving and Easter. There are fewer bugs then, and the temperatures are much more comfortable. And those long nights are great for both star-gazing and catching up on your sleep!
So consider a trip out to one of the park's Gulf islands. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet out there!
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All text and photos copyright john kumiski 2021. All rights reserved.

Resources
Boat Rentals in Everglades City
<a href="https://evergladesadventures.com">evergladesadventures.com</a> 
<a href="https://www.evergladesareatours.com/">www.evergladesareatours.com/</a> 
<a href="http://evergladesadventuretours.net/everglades-canoe-rentals/">evergladesadventuretours.net/everglades-canoe-rentals/</a> 
Everglades National Park links
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm">www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm</a> - ENP website
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/gcdirections.htm">www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/gcdirections.htm</a> - Contact for the Gulf Coast Visitor Center
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/wildernesscamp.htm">www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/wildernesscamp.htm</a> - the wilderness trip planner
camping trip equipment list- <a href="https://www.spottedtail.com/trip-equipment-list/">www.spottedtail.com/trip-equipment-list/</a>

Everglades National Park adventure! — @undefined's mag on Magma

Animals

Whale Pass

The Lodge at Whale Pass
Located at the north end of Prince of Wales Island, water surrounds the Lodge at Whale Pass. That water includes the Pacific Ocean and the Inland Passage. Some small streams, that nonetheless support great fisheries, are found there, too.
In addition to fishing, the Lodge at Whale Pass offers hiking, biking, caving, wildlife watching for birds, bears, and marine mammals, trips to the LeConte Glacier, and more. You find incredible scenery. You can't get bored there!
It was my privilege to work there three seasons as a guide. I captured these images during that time.
Contact the Lodge at Whale Pass at <a href="https://lodgeatwhalepass.com/">https://lodgeatwhalepass.com</a>.

There are many hikes on the island. This one takes you to Red Bay Lake.

The Lodge at Whale Pass, Alaska — @undefined's mag on Magma

Maine

In 1976, Jim bought the canoe- an Old Town Tripper. He came up with the idea to go to Maine, too, a great idea.
Backcountry trips require a lot of planning and preparation and a certain degree of skill. We bought maps and guidebooks, made lists, purchased equipment, tied flies, and went canoeing every weekend. We learned how to paddle the hard way. Hell yeah, it was rugged falling into those ice-cold rapids, but it was tremendously exciting and oh, so much fun!

<h1>In Camp</h1>
Make camp, break camp. Make camp, break camp. It quickly becomes a routine on a canoe trip. Layover days are luxuries, to be savored and appreciated. Most days are spent paddling.

Youth passes. Responsibilities grow. I look back on my days paddling in Maine and the rest of New England with fondness, knowing I will probably never paddle there again.

All photos were shot with a Konica Auto-S and a Canon AE-1 with a 50 mm lens between 1976 and 1980. Film was most likely a mix of Kodak Plus-X and Tri-X but honestly, I can't remember.
To see the entire memoir, visit <a href="https://johnkumiski.com/maine/">https://johnkumiski.com/maine/</a>

Canoeing in Maine- a Memoir — @undefined's mag on Magma

Florida

<h2>A Trip on Florida's Big Bend Paddling Trail</h2>

Running tenuously along a portion of Florida's Gulf Coast, the Big Bend Paddling Trail snakes its way from the Aucilla River to Yankeetown. It's 160 mostly undeveloped miles of wild coastline, dominated by salt marsh, oysters, and turtle grass flats. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maintains the northern section of the trail, the Florida Park Service the southern part.
Mike Conneen and I paddled a portion, from the Aucilla River to Steinhatchee. Although it was only 70 miles, fierce headwinds made every day but one a lengthy and tiring battle with the elements. We both agreed it was the toughest trip we had ever taken. In spite of that we had time to catch some fish and observe nature. We both agreed it was a trip well worth taking.
To get more information to help with your own trip planning, visit the FWC website at <a href="https://myfwc.com/recreation/lead/big-bend/paddling-trail/">https://myfwc.com/recreation/lead/big-bend/paddling-trail/</a> .

Paddling Florida’s Big Bend — @undefined's mag on Magma

<h2>River, a rescue dog and a service dog, has a human named Mike. River provides Mike with emotional support- friendship and much more. Their bond goes deeper than friendship, delving into love.</h2>
<h2>Recently they went kayak camping together. This is a small slice of that story. </h2>

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