Florida Kayaking Adventure: Paddling with Alligators and Exploring Tampa's Natural Beauty
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Join me on a Florida Edition of Two Feet Outdoors where I spend the day kayaking with LOTS of alligators, beautiful birds, and turtles. The adventure begins at Lettuce Lake Park on the Hillsborough River in Tampa, Florida. The water levels were extremely low which is unusual for the area. I was able to capture incredible close up shots of the wildlife along the river, but don't worry, I kept a safe distance between us (kind of). I hope you enjoy this unique adventure as much as I did!
/ matt_adventure_
Music: bensound.com
License code: V3NT8ZUXSVBJTMQ8
Royalty Free Music: www.bensound.com
License code: ZYQHMJATEVD9AOND
#alligator #florida #tampa #kayaking #river
![Run Away - Tzuyu(TWICE) ツウィ 쯔위 [Music Bank] | KBS WORLD TV 240906](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KnHNNyAYiu0/mqdefault.jpg)
Current closure due to Hurricane Debby. hcfl.gov/locations/lettuce-lake-conservation-park
We have been getting some much needed rain this week. Love the Hillsborough River and camping at Hillsborough River State Park!
That little bit of rain I got on the river was all the rain I saw during my visit down there. I'm glad it was nice when I was down there. I heard there's a lot this week. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Awesome! You were in my neighborhood! I watched and loved the ny kayak videos!
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Been to Florida hundreds of times. Never to the west. This video made me want to take my New York butt next time to west coast Florida!
I like the west coast. I also like heading north from Tampa to areas like the Rainbow River, the Chassahowitzka River / Seven Sisters Springs, Silver Springs State Park etc. Also, research a spot called Dames Caves. Really cool natural caves.
Great content Matt! Looking forward to the next one.
Thank you so much! Appreciate you watching and commenting. Have you checked out other videos of mine as well?
@@TwoFeetOutdoors yes indeed I have. All very enjoyable.
@@thelongs5698 Thank you so much! 💪
great you have a regular spot to travel to, i feel like repeat trips make it more special. beautiful time paddling on the water with you
Thank you. I appreciate you watching and commenting.
18:14 when you were panning and counted the 3 gators, there was actually a 4th gator just behind the 3rd one a few yards back.
YES, I'm so glad you noticed!! I actually noticed that during editing. I was like, "wow, I missed that one!" Great attention to detail you have. I'm glad you saw that. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Thank you!
I recently moved to Pinellas from even further south.
Spent the last 20yrs photographing gators and crocs and other wildlife in the Everglades west of Miami.
I have been looking for gators up here and just was not able to find any.
Thanks for the tip!
And that was a Rossette spoonbill, a Wood stork and I think a small blue heron.
Slainté! 🍻
🐊😎🐊
Wow cool! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!! I appreciate it.
Circle b
@@peggydunaway Whats that?
@@peggydunaway Thank you!
It's about as far from me (almost 2 hour drive) as the places I went to in the Glades so... works for me. 😂
@@TwoFeetOutdoors I looked it up on my areas map results.
It's called the Circle B Bar Reserve.
I'd leave the Wiki link but YT doesn't like links anymore.
Wow Matt!!!
Unbelievable!
Amazing and scary. You are brave my friend!
I have plans to check out some of the places you've been to since your videos are the ones that inspired me, but no alligator 🐊 for me thank you!
I'm too much of a city guy lol
Thank you! I really appreciate you watching. Thank you for commenting too.
I love the turtles!
Me too. Lots of beautiful wildlife in this one. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
I love all your videos it’s nice to see one in Florida. I’m from New York and you’ve encouraged me to try kayaking this summer! Gonna check out out one of the free launches in the city.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the compliment. What area of the city do you think you'll try kayaking in? Thank you for watching and commenting. One of the main things to watch is the weather and kayak on low wind / calm days (under 10mph wind).
@@TwoFeetOutdoors Either pier 96 or 84 seems best for a newbie like me.
@JennysRandom531 OK, I'm not familiar with those launch spots but be careful around big boats. Some of them throw off big wakes. I try to avoid areas with lots of boating traffic. Have fun! I'm glad I encouraged you to kayak. It's so much fun, peaceful and it's the best way to view areas of NYC.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors Thanks for the tips I really appreciate it!! Its very controlled there will be instructors haha I’m no where near ready to go it alone! Thanks for sharing your videos.
Thanks for taking us along Matt!
You're welcome! Thank you for watching.
@twofeetoutdoors another great recommendation, thank you! Like yourself I wouldn't be able to name all the birds, it's just incredible to see them. I was intrigued by the pink Pelican type birds, I spotted them before you got close up to them. The closest I get to these in the UK are Herons and Egrets, which are both amazing to see even the more common types. I bet those Alligators have great lives in that river, a very peaceful environment for them . Have a good week!
@@birdsbodger Thank you so much for watching again. I really appreciate it.
Tampa Florida is a great place to visit. Been there a couple of times when I lived in the US. Great video. Thank you for sharing and have a fantastic day.
Thank you! Appreciate you watching and commenting.
Excellent 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting.
Pink bird is a Roseate Spoonbill.
Thank you! Love them! 💗
Ever consider kayaking in Virginia? The middle peninsula in Mathews County is a hidden gem for kayaking. Countless water ways. Very peaceful flat water with a ton of wild life too.
Welcome to my neck of the woods. Good to see you in FL😊
Thank you man!! I appreciate you watching and commenting. I love the alligators!!
Every day life in the bay area keep your eyes out for bull sharks in the river too and hogs and coyotes on the bank and cottonmouths and rattler as well stay sharp have fun
@robbubba8020 this section has to be wayyyy too far north on the Hillsborough River for bull sharks.
@TwoFeetOutdoors a kid just caught one a ways up the river last week and they get caught way up the Mississippi every year as well we have one in the Anclote River west of Tampa that's about 9 feet long and he's been spotted from the Sponge Docks all the way almost to Odessa
@robbubba8020 wow, that's wild.
Damn when you said theres gators there i put myself there and almost had a heart attack, be careful with those things, excellent video down there, my son went kayaking today in the hudson river under the washington bridge.
Nice!! I just went yesterday and recorded a video kayaking Newtown Creek. I'll edit it and post next week. Luckily, alligators aren't typically aggressive toward humans unless people are feeding them or harassing them.
I've been curious if my kayak could handle the Hudson River but I don't know. It's a Tucktek and great on calm waters. I know I read that cargo ships travel on the Hudson, I don't know.
Matt, I have a question for you, I haven't seen all of your videos yet but I'm getting there. My question if you haven't done or shown it yet is, have you brought your Oru to any reservoirs upstate NY and if so how was it? It seems like something fun to do but I read that there's certain rules? Especially about the reservoir site having to steam clean and sanitize your kayak to go on to the reservoir? If so do you have any idea how much they charge?
Your videos are so calming and relaxing to watch and always motivating to see and inspiring.
I especially think it's awesome how you pulled those electronic scooters out of the water in your Bronx River video and how you pick up some trash when you can. HUGE respect and kudos for that, I will try and do the same. I donated some money to 4Ocean for their efforts and purchased a couple of their bracelets and other merchandise.
Stay safe and careful with those alligators!!!!!!
@angusbeef1574 I haven't kayaked the Hudson or Reservoirs upstate. I definitely prefer calmer, more protected waterways. I enjoy the solitude of them. I really don't like to be around large boating traffic since they produce large wakes and turbulent water. My next video coming up is paddling Newtown Creek. I launched from Hunter's Point South Park Kayak launch. It's a really nice launch.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors thank you for responding back!
I agree wholeheartedly, I want to avoid dangerous places and any large ships or vessels. That's why I like your videos and the spots you choose. Thank you again! Stay safe always 🙏🙏🙏
As a Florida native swamp puppies don’t bother you ….. unless you go out of your way to bother them
The Florida heat is the real problem 😂😂
I'd be sweating too with alligators. Lol
Pink bird is roseate spoonbill and the other bird is a wood stork. Both pretty uncommon I'd say, especially next to each other.
Thank you. Appreciate you watching and commenting.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors I believe the third bird is a Tricolored Heron. What a great shot of three different species in one frame.
@tombillotto6335 Awesome, thank you so much. Appreciate you watching and commenting. I couldn't believe I was capturing so many different types of bird together. So cool.
I told my wife yesterday that I thought it would be a fun time to go Kayaking one day, she did not think it was a good idea. :(
One thing with baby gators being all over, mama is prob somewhere close. Thanks for sharing this one, this was really cool to see all the wild-life. Gators have been around for what 60+ million years I think, they must be doing something right. To think that they were around when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Amazing
@m.t.v.7934 Thank you! I appreciate you watching and commenting. 😀 I really love going canoeing on the Chassahowitzka River / 7 Sisters Spring. So beautiful there. I also recently canoed Silver Springs State Park / Silver River, and it was INCREDIBLE. Thanks again.
Cool video! Matt, my Mom would like to see more of the ores when you paddle, please 😊😅
"Ores"?
Awesome, I grew up in a house on the Hillsborough River, near the 56th st bridge. If you want to see gators, should try the Myakka river.
@jensrosowski3964 Yes, I've been there years ago. Lots of alligators there for sure. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
Great adventure really enjoyed it
Thank you for watching and commenting.
I kayak the Hillsborough River in Tampa weekly. It has so much beauty.
Awesome 👌 Have the water levels come up at all? Where do you usually kayak from? Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors I was surprised to see it that low. I think you were here just before the daily rains began. No water level issues these days. I usually pull random trash from the Hillsborough when I'm paddling and I always think about the trash net you portaged around in the Bronx.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors For the past few months, I've been putting in at Lowry Park and paddling to Robles Park. All in the city.
@@glenhatchell5635 Here's a guy I subscribe to. He recently did a Tampa paddle through the Hillsborough River. ruclips.net/video/uTSSLPhbwMw/видео.htmlsi=22Udz15c-TfuZhVT
@@TwoFeetOutdoors Sweet!
that is incredible.
Thank you so much! Appreciate you watching and commenting.
Two Feet Outdoors paddling in two feet of water lol
I've paddled there a bunch of times over the years and that's the lowest water level I have ever seen.
With alligators...good luck...
@@jordanbey870 Thank you!! Beautiful creatures! I survived. Captured some beautiful nature in this one. Thank you for watching.
Talk to em baby pa
Hope you visit Wakoola Springs..
I need to look into it. Haven't heard of it. There's so much nature to explore in Florida. Thank you.
Have my Oru Costal. Got two Eddyline Sandpipers 130 on way for wife and my birthdays 🥳.
Awesome!!! I'd like an Oru Coast. A lot more space inside for gear if you want to carry stuff. Thank you for watching the channel.
Tampa-St Pete have in drought conditions. Pink Spoon Bill, looked like a Sand Hill Crane, Gray Heron
May also be tide effect also
@@TABs-em1sc Yeah, for sure. Definitely drought conditions. I've never seen it that low. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it.
When I went paddling in Florida, one thing I didn't want to see was alligators. Nevertheless, I inadvertently manged to spook a couple of them, which in turn spooked me.
I like winter kayaking in Florida. The warm winter temperatures are great, and the alligators seem to be much less active and present. In the summer, I'll avoid freshwater lakes and ponds and choose brackish or salt water waterways.
@@cncprogrammer3265 Thank you!! I appreciate you watching and commenting. It means a lot to me.
I really like your camera zoom, what are you using now? Great video too, watched and "liked" it :)
My main camera is an Insta360X3 but I use my cell phone for zoom footage. The Insta360X3 is cool because it records all directions and I can edit the footage in any direction. That's how im able to switch regularly front, back, side, pan etc. My cell phone has a 20X zoom. Cell phone is a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Thank you for watching. I really want to invest in a drone at some point in the future.
Dang Matt I’m from St Pete
I kayak at Hillsboro River State Park. You ought to come check out Fort Desoto, Robinson Preserve in Bradenton
@TABs-em1sc I don't think I've been to Robinson Preserve but I have been to the others. I like going to springs and rivers north of Tampa.
I don't know if anyone mentioned but I think those were Rosette Spoonbills
They have, but I appreciate you watching and commenting. Thank you!! 😀
Two feet outdoors refers to how close the wildlife is to the boat.
Hahaha. That's a great comment!!! Thanks forvwatching and commenting.
🤣🤣🤣
Weren't you afraid of encountering alligators?
No, I'm used to seeing alligators. I've kayaked around them a lot. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Beautiful place! As a kayaker myself I'd be a little nervous paddling with all those gators. Btw, what kind of camera equipment do you use that it swivels without you turning the camera to take video?
@@cherri400 Thank you. I appreciate you watching and commenting. My camera is an Insta360X3. When editing, you can turn the camera, etc. It's so cool 😎
I have visited almost every park in Florida but never kayak...
Almost EVERY park in Florida? Is that even possible in a lifetime? Wow 👌 You get around. You gotta kayak some.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors Yes...no joke..visited so many..they have a passport for 120$ a year and you don't have to pay entrance or activities..museums..I did it in 2015..
@jordanbey870 that's really AWESOME 👌 Do you have a favorite? I canoed recently at Silver Springs State Park on the Silver River. One of my all time favorite spots.
Kayaking? lol , I swam with them in Lake Okeechobee, not once but many times, me and my brothers and obviously never got bitten or hurt by one,
Awesome!! Sounds great! Any video of it? I'd love to check it out. Thank you for watching and commenting.
U should fish 🎣
Probably catch a lot of fish in there! I was just out on this one to kayak and get some wildlife / nature shots. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Were is the 😂Oru Kayak?
I left it home. Rented a kayak for this trip. Went canoeing a comple of times to while in Florida as well. Traveled to Florida with nothing but a small backpack. Had a great trip spending time with loved ones too. I'm back in New York now.
Oh my god you're alone?????
@@BlackandProud350 No, me and lots of alligators and beautiful wildlife. 😀🐊🐊🦅🐦⬛🐦
Polarized. Sunglasses.
I should wear sunglasses more 😎. I want viewers to see my eyes when I'm conversing with the camera. Hopefully I'm not damaging my eyes. I also dislike using camera equipment with sunglasses on. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@TwoFeetOutdoors we would much rather have you see all those giant fish you weren’t reacting to 👍🏻✅
@English_MoFo the water wasn't clear enough to actually see the fish from my perspective or the cameras. Lol. Not a fresh spring there on the Hillsborough River like other places in Florida. Thank you for watching and commenting. 😀
Tourists🙁
I did live in Florida for 25 or so years. 😉