Return to Peanut Island

Yesterday's weather forecast promised to have ideal conditions for kayaking from the Blue Heron Bridge out to Peanut Island, and it did not disappoint! Calm wind made for a fast and easy paddle to the island, unlike the last time we were there. The water was clear, warm, and blue on the incoming tide. Dave had his snorkeling gear with him and said it was fantastic. The visibility and fish rivaled Mermaid Reef in Abaco, although you have to be aware of the current.

The sky was gorgeous too...

With the lack of wind, we were able to kayak around the whole island this time, including the lagoon, stopping to visit the king (or queen) of the rocks and friends.

We even found a starfish in the shallows, which we placed back in the water after this photo opp.

The port was busy as usual, including freighters, a cruiseship, and the 320 ft. mega-yacht Aviva...

We also walked around the island again and got to watch a tanker back out of its slip in the port and get turned around to head out the inlet, with the help of two tugboats. The Port of Palm Beach's turning basin is pretty tight, especially since there is what looks like a dredge close by in the boat anchorage.

This sheriff's boat was docked in the marina. We had seen one with triple outboards, but this was a quad, so don't try to escape! 😉 The officers were there just in time to witness one boat that had just docked, get hit by another that was leaving and was apparently a bit too close. We heard the crunch and commotion as we walked by the boat basin. Good thing the sheriff's crew was there.

By afternoon the island was quite packed with people, both on land and water, so we headed back to the van at Phil Foster Park. You can tell the vacationers and the rest of the snowbirds have arrived, since there were few people here before Christmas. Now we know we need to go in the mornings like we did. We sure planned it right! Next time we will bring the powerboat down to explore further south in Palm Beach.