I was awake at 5:50am thanks to my superhuman ability to wake minutes before an alarm. I had another shower (bliss!) and while Tuuli did the same, went out to the car to make us some oats for breakfast. We ate out on the deck of our waterfront room and watched the light of the rising sun come up over the mangroves.

After a quick stop at a supermarket for Tuuli to buy water, we were off south to the seven mile bridge. When we got there, we unloaded the bikes and set off. We only made it a hundred meters before we found that the pedestrian bridge was closed and looked like it was in a state of disrepair. Not wanting to ride in the tiny bikelane on the roadbridge exposed to traffic, we re-mounted the bikes and drove on instead. I was disappointed, but took solace from the fact that we would have more time to do other stuff.

We drove all the way down to Big Pine Key, parked in a shopping complex and dismounted the bikes again. We were on the hunt for Key deer, found on this island only. We didn’t like our chances since they are mostly seen in the late afternoon, but were trying anyway. We rode through the residential streets and within minutes saw a whole flock of deer (flock? That’s probably wrong) in someone’s front yard enjoying their lawn. The sightings continued as we ducked in and out of wildlife refuge trails. We saw a very cute Bambi that didn’t seem to shy when we showed up, he almost came right up to us! When we saw a male deer resting by someone’s front fence, Tuuli was sure it was a statue, but nope, he was definitely real!

We continued riding on to No Name Key where we found another wildlife refuge so went in exploring. We actually found a network of trails that resembled single track and even a few mountain bike obstacles. We spent a lot of time bush bashing and getting lost, but we found some really nice landscapes amongst mangroves and bush trees. The colours surprised me. I ate more than one cobweb and narrowly avoided impact with HUGE spiders hung in trees right above the trail. Both me and Tuuli turned into little squealing girls as we crouched under the webs hoping not to disturb the occupants.

At one point, I saw something that looked like a big brown cat scoot away into the bush and was chuffed that I may have just seen a Florida panther. After a few times getting stuck in the mud and getting completely lost trying to find non-existent trails, we got to a peninsula and back, then navigated ourselves to an abandoned water catchment that may have been a fish farm, but we really had no clue. There was a huge iguana manning the wall around the water but he soon ran away into his hole. We could see plenty of fish in the hole and even a small jellyfish! After riding around the waterhole, we found a trail that took us back out onto the road and we followed that back to where we’d come from, seeing still more deer as we went along.

We got back to the car and even though we were both hungry from our explorative ride, we held out wanting to find a nice beach to picnic on. We were not disappointed. Right at the northern tip of Big Pine Key, we both saw a flash of a beautiful spot and I immediately slammed on the brakes and u-turned us back to it. The Veteran’s Memorial Park was perfect. I was even more happy to be here since it was right next to a state park beach that costs money to get in. Here, we parked, made wraps and enjoyed them at a picnic table under the shade of a Tiki hut looking out over the huge expanse of ocean, birds diving into the water to catch fish. Does it get any better?! Yes it does, I enjoyed a cold beer over lunch from my fridge.

We both got changed into our swimmers in prep for our SUP boarding then drove back north. We drove back to the SUP board rental place right next to the hotel where they were expecting us. We paid $35 each to use the boards for the rest of the day and it was just past 1pm so that gave us over five hours. Out the back, the guys immediately directed us to where a manatee and her baby were hanging out. I got to see more of the animal this time in the clear water and it didn’t make them any less weird. We packed some water in our Camelbaks and were off. Tuuli was on photo duty since she had a waterproof case.

We explored everywhere there was to explore in the area. Our first spot was a canal that led to a very tight mangrove tunnel where we were doing more lying down and sitting than standing to navigate through the network of roots and branches. It was very cool, moving silently along the water amongst the fishes. We came across some brave (stupid?) people doing it in a small canoe and they were not moving as graciously as us.

The second canal was longer and after a small tunnel, led us into a lake that was abundant with wildlife. The water was shallow and clear and we could see that the floor was completely covered in upside-down jellyfish. If you weren’t looking closely you’d assume it was just seaweed. We paddled around the lake for a while and I spotted another couple of those weird fish that we’d seen yesterday. I was curious so touched one with my paddle and was surprised to discover it’s skin was hard like a shell. Back at the SUP board rental place, we found out they are called horseshoe crab and are incredibly endangered so we were lucky to see them, let alone two pairs in two days!

Back out into the marina, the place was going quiet in preparation for Superbowl which was about to start, so we pretty much had the water to ourselves. Both being competitive people, Tuuli and I had a couple of races in which we were very closely matched, but we both concluded that SUP boards are not built to go fast. We paddled against the incoming tide out to a small island in the bay where I saw one stingray, but Tuuli was lucky to see many more. We’d been told me might see sharks too, but no luck with them. We found a rope swing on the tiny island and did some exploring, but the island was tiny, only about ten meters across, so not much to be found. The paddle back to the marina was easy, going with the tide.

When I saw a house right on the waterfront for sale, I speculated the price and surprisingly, my curiosity was satisfied when the neighbour, sitting out in his comfy chair watching the water, told me it was going for $4.5 million! We stopped and chatted with him for a bit about his life in paradise and it was clear that he had spent his life working his arse off and was now reaping the rewards. He would sit out where he was and watch the water most days, totally content.

We made it back to the SUP store just before closing time, hosed ourselves down and learnt that horseshoe crab blood is one of the most desirable liquids in the world at $16,000 a gallon, though our informant didn’t know why. Missed opportunity? Back at the car, I discovered that my iPhone screen had blue-line syndrome which was disappointing but maybe a result of leaving the phone in a hot car.

The nearby takeaway shop “What the Fish” was closed, so Tuuli found us a restaurant a short drive away called Snappers. Another spot on the water, we had a table right by the marina where we could watch fish move around under a green light on the ocean floor. I satisfied my craving for fish and chips and Tuuli had another round of Ceviché while Superbowl played on the screens all around us. I tried to describe a Lemon, Lime and Bitters drink to my waiter but didn’t have much success, it’s a refreshing drink from Australia that I miss having. We were out of the restaurant well before half time, not disappointed that we would be missing the show.

Thankfully the 1.5 hour drive back to the casino went quickly and we came to my camp around 8:30pm. There were plenty of people sitting out by their RVs still watching the Superbowl. We unpacked Tuuli’s stuff from my car and said our goodbyes before she drove the extra half hour back to Miami Beach. I’m sure we’ll meet again, either in the US or back home in Brissie.

I went in to the Casino to check in and use the bathroom. On the way out, I saw a raccoon who’d made a home in a rubbish bin. Yet another animal sighting! Back out into the van and I was straight to sleep after opening all the windows in the hopes of getting some cool air without too many mozzies.

Just to highlight how many animals we saw today, here is a list (in order of discovery):

• Pelicans
• Key deer (aww, cute)
• Spiders (eek!)
• Florida panther?!
• Iguana
• Vultures
• Roosters (at the servo!)
• Manatees
• Fish (obviously)
• Upside-down jellyfish (umm, what?)
• Horseshoe crabs
• Normal crabs (climbing on the mangrove trees)
• Raccoon
• Mozzies (didn’t really need to see these)