🎵 “A 3 hour tour” 🎵

On May 21, 2025June 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights7 Comments

My sister and her husband were coming to visit for the Grand Prix race (in St. Pete) in late February. They came a few days early so we could do some tourist stuff. Our first fun thing was a dolphin/sunset tour out of Dunedin. We left at 4:30 and boated down the intercoastal waterway passing by Clearwater.

I think that dog was having more fun on the water than anyone else as we passed close by the Sound Amphitheater.

Colors were popping as we got farther down the waterway and passed sailboats and kite surfers. We could see the pirate ship tour boat farther back on the left.

Passing underneath the Sand Key bridge.

We made our way into the gulf and passed by Clearwater Beach and the long Pier 60 as we headed north.

We got all the way to the tip of Caladesi Island before turning around to head back to Clearwater. The sun still had a ways to go before setting so we took our time coming back.

The sun was shining on the new hotels that sit on the south end of Clearwater Beach. When I was growing up and coming here to visit my grandparents this beach was all 2 story motels.

The boat stopped at the end of the beach and we watched the sun go down with a few other boats. It was a busy night on the water.

The Little Toot boat was following us as we made our way back into the intercoastal waterway. It was a beautiful night and got chilly quick when the sun went down. Luckily we were prepared and brought jackets with us.

Passing the pirate ship.

The sky was turning orange and the birds were flying around before going to bed as we made our way past Clearwater and back to the Dunedin marina.

The 2 1/2 hour trip turned into a 3 hour trip when we docked. It was a perfect night. We saw lots of dolphins but the boat was full and I didn’t bring my camera and longer lens so I hung back and let the tourists watch them. It’s always fun seeing the reactions when people don’t get to see them often or see them for the first time.

A beautiful day at the beach?

On January 22, 2025February 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights5 Comments

In late October I was heading to downtown St. Pete to see my chiropractor and I could see the missing roof that had been blown off the baseball field during Hurricane Milton. They have since taken the rest of the roof off and are still deciding how to fix it. With the season coming up at the end of March, the Rays will be playing at the Yankees spring training field in Tampa for the upcoming year.

A crane had fallen on an office building a few blocks from my chiropractor. It’s going to take a long time to fix that.

After my appointment I drove over to nearby North Shore Park and went for a quick walk along the water. It was too beautiful to go home.

A few days later Brett and I went over to Clearwater Beach to have lunch. The Columbia restaurant on Sand Key beach had just opened back up and were in need of patrons since most everything was still closed and not many tourists around. We love the Columbia so we had to go grab some lunch.

The parking lots on Clearwater beach were closed and full of sand that had been moved off the roads. They were just starting to clean up the beaches.

The famous Palm Pavilion Grill and Bar (my Dad was a bartender here back in the 40’s when he was home for the summer from collage) got a lot of flooding and damage inside. They are still closed but are posting they are hoping to reopen by early February.

Closed parking lots full of sand all the way down the beach. Many of the lots are now open and many of the big chain hotels (more than 2 stories) are open. The few remaining small 2 story Mom and Pop motels are still closed. It will be interesting to see how many reopen and how many sell out after the hurricane damage.

The Columbia restaurant on the intercoastal only got minimal damage inside since they are built up. They did have damage to their outside seating area and that is still closed. Brett and I went back for lunch again 2 weeks ago and that sailboat is still wedge up on the seawall.

Heading home in the other direction, home debris lined the street. Early news reports had said that 20,000-30,000 homes were flooded in the Tampa Bay area (Hillsborough and Pinellas counties) from Helene. And then Milton hit and did further damage. People are either staying with friends, spending a fortune on an apartment or renting an RV, staying in their homes without walls/kitchen and many are living in cars. Not to mention people are still living in tents in the snow in North Carolina.

Face to face with a dolphin

On May 9, 2024April 30, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals, Tampa bay sights, zoo animals8 Comments

Look at that face! It’s not often you get this close up to a dolphin. After our dolphin boat tour my sister and I stopped at the nearby Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of Winter the dolphin who lost his tail (The movie Dolphin Tale was about him and filmed here). They rescue, rehabilitate and house (if needed) permanently injured dolphins, turtles, otters and other sea critters.

This huge turtle had lost his back legs.

This turtle was hit by a boat and lost his ability to submerge properly. He swims around with his butt in the air.

Some of the turtles that are rehabilitating and will be released soon.

A few of the smaller swimmers.

The ladies on the right got to feed the shark that was in the middle. He was obviously a docile shark since he’s fed several times a day.

This is Nicholas and he came right up to the window. He was found as a young baby stranded on Christmas Eve in 2002 and had 3rd degree sunburns on his back. You can still see the scars on his forehead all the way to his fin.

Debbie was sitting in front of the window and both dolphins came to check her out.

A very short video of a dolphin swimming in the big tank.

Before leaving we walked around on the upper deck where you can see Clearwater to the left and Clearwater Beach to the right.

A 2nd look at the western flycatcher.

On April 25, 2024April 25, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

I went back to Sand Key Park (in Clearwater) in early February to see if I could spot the rare western flycatcher that has been hanging around there for several months. I had heard it was still there but finding it wouldn’t be easy. I didn’t get there super early. It was after 8 and just a few minutes after I arrived I saw it in the bushes. On my last trip I briefly saw the back of it and then searched for it for an hour without seeing it again so I was happy to see it so quick this trip.

There were usual birds there as well. A lot of catbirds and blue gray gnatchatchers.

After finding the flycatcher so quickly I decided to leave and stopped on the causeway to get a short walk in over the bridge. Halfway up I stopped and took the above. Sand Key is on the left of the bridge in the distance and Clearwater Beach is on the right.

Since I was in Clearwater I stopped at Lake Bellview. I heard there was a canvasback duck there. It would not have been a lifer but I haven’t seen one in years. All I could find was redheads and ring neck ducks.

I did find a gadwall (the gray one in the middle) floating around with some ring neck ducks. I haven’t seen one of the those in years.

A cloudy windy winter morning

On March 4, 2024April 30, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

A few days after I briefly spotted the rare western flycatcher I went back to Sand Key Park to see if I could get a better view. It was reported that he was still there but after looking for an hour I came up empty. The morning wasn’t a total loss though. The above ovenbird and house wren came out and posed for me. The house wren is common here in the winter but I don’t see ovenbirds often. He was a cutie!

I decided to take a quick walk on the beach before leaving. It wasn’t a nice day out and the wind was blasting.

The beach was pretty empty which is rare here.

There were several guys trying to catch some waves. They spent most of the time I was there bobbing on their surfboards but this guy got up a few times.

Off in the distance I could see someone getting ready to kiteboard. The old lifeguard stand is falling apart. It looks recently painted but the stairs had come off.

The clouds were getting darker and the water was choppy. Clearwater Beach is across the pass.

Cormorants all lined up under the bridge. I walked over to the intercoastal side of the park and walked along the sea wall under the bridge. I’ve seen dolphins here before but none this morning.

The snowy egrets were dancing around the top of the water and snatching bait fish.

The rainbow bird and a new one

On February 29, 2024February 17, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights3 Comments

There were reports of a new bird in town. He had been there for several days so I headed over to Sand Key Park to take a look. The above looks like the new bird but it’s just a plain ole eastern phoebe. He was sitting out in the open when I got to the park.

I walked around the area and ran into another couple also looking for the new bird. They had just found it and it popped out for a few seconds. I managed the above quick shot before he went back in the bushes. The western flycatcher (formally know as the pacific slope flycatcher) should not be on this side of the country. He shouldn’t be on this side of Texas. Somehow he must have gone to far to the left when he was migrating south for the winter. He’s still there but it will be interesting to see if he leaves during spring migration. I spent another hour looking for him again but he stayed hidden in the bushes.

While I was waiting for the flycatcher to make another appearance this painted bunting flew right in front of me. What??? He sat there out in the open for a while. I didn’t see any females around or any other males.

He hopped around feeding in the seed for a while and was not shy at all.

There was also a ton of blue gray gnatcatchers.

I walked over to the end of the beach area and noticed it was starting to get cloudy. I could see the tourist pirate ship heading back towards the marina just past the bridge.

A quick snap of the view of Clearwater beach south end. It was cold and there wasn’t too many people out.

Soon there won’t be an inch of space left on Clearwater beach to build on. They keep tearing down the few remaining old 2 story Mom & Pop motels who don’t stand a chance anymore and are building high rises. Sleepy Clearwater beach now looks like Ft Lauderdale beach (and cost almost as much to park here).

The purple martins are back!

On April 17, 2023April 9, 2023 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

I had heard the purple martins were back at the Dunedin marina so one morning I drove around to the front of the marina to see if I could get some shots of them in the bird house. I also found some other birds there as well. The spotted sandpipers will be going back up north soon

Pigeons get no respect but they are pretty when the sun shines on them.

A kingfisher was hanging out on the channel marker at the entrance to the marina.

All of the usual birds were there. Green herons, great egrets and pelicans.

The purple martins were busy moving in to the martin house. It looks like most of them were in couples and had staked out their spots. Last year I found them when the babies were almost fully grown and ready to leave to I’m hoping this year I can see some young babies.

The view from the purple martin house. You can see Clearwater beach across the water. It used to be a quiet little beach area with 2 story Mom and Pop hotels but not anymore. All highrises and the traffic is terrible. Parking is $30 a day. Only the tourists go to this beach now.

Out on the water

On April 12, 2022April 3, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights2 Comments

I went for a long walk around by the Dunedin marina on a cool morning in late February (this was one of those perfect Florida winter days, sunny and 58 degrees). I had left my camera in the car and was walking along the front of the marina and saw all of the sailboats out in the water.I snapped the above with my phone and then hiked back to my car to get my camera.

There was some sort of sailing class or group out in the water. It looked like fun. It got me thinking I might need to take some sailing lessons.

I drove over to Weaver Park, just north of the Dunedin marina. From that long pier you can see most of Clearwater Beach.

Of course as I’m standing on the fishing pier I had to snap pictures of the anhinga watching me and the osprey cruising by. I’m glad I had left my camera in the car. I wasn’t planning on taking any pictures this morning but you never know what you’ll see out there.

Starting vacation

On December 7, 2021November 30, 2021 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights3 Comments

The Monday before Thanksgiving I headed to the airport to pick up my sister who was coming to spend the week with us. I had a few minutes before she got off the plane so I snapped the above of this beautiful tree near her concourse. Even though it was a bit early, it still put me in the vacation spirit.

It was beautiful outside so after lunch we headed over to Clearwater beach. It’s always fun being a tourist in my own town when she comes to visit. We ended up at the Clearwater marina later that afternoon and watched the fishing boats come in (it was something we use to do with our parents when we were growing up and came here to visit our grandparents).

We decided to stay for sunset even though the clouds were moving in quickly. The sky looked like it was on fire as the sun went down. While we were there we thought we might as well have dinner on the beach too. A great way to start the week.

Things have changed.

On June 14, 2021March 8, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals, Tampa bay sights2 Comments

The non-profit Clearwater Marine Aquarium opened on Clearwater Beach in 1972 in a former water treatment plant. They opened as a research and learning center and by 1980 they started rehabilitating dolphins. I don’t remember going there as a child when we use to come down to Clearwater to visit my grandparents but I do remember visiting a few times with my parents when they retired down here in the early 90’s. When Brett and I moved down here 19 years ago I got an annual pass and took my Mom there to see the dolphins a lot. She was in a retirement home and was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. She lived close by and it made for a fun morning out for her. She loved just sitting and watching the dolphins and turtles swimming around. Back then you could park at the front door and walk right in. No parking decks or lines to get in, You could also get pretty close up to the dolphins.

The aquarium is home to Winter (the movie star from A Dolphin’s Tale). Winter lost her tail years ago and the aquarium was able to get a prosthetic tail to help her swim better. It’s been several years since I had been and they recently had a big addition built on (they added a 1.5 million gallon tank) so I decided to head over to the beach to see Winter on a rare Monday off. I had to pay to park in a deck, stand in a line (small one though) to get in on a Monday. I’m glad they are doing so well though. They do a lot with injured sea life here. Not just rehabilitating them here but they send teams out to rescue as well.

You walk in on the upper level and can see into the pool. I didn’t take many pictures up here since it was dark inside and the dolphins were swimming lower down in the water. This is not a dolphin show like in the old days. These are injured dolphins that are being rehabilitated that you get to see up close. Although if you hit it right at feeding time, the dolphins do perform specific behaviors as part of feeding but no jumping out of the water and flipping over.

Here’s were you want to be. There are windows all around the tank so you can walk around and see different dolphins. Winter and her best friend Hope are in the main tank.

Winter did not have on her prostetic tail while I was there. You can see she is missing her flipper. Se came pretty close to the window.

On the other side there were several other dolphins swimming close to the window. The glare from the window did not make it easy to get pictures. The dolphins in the main tank live here full time now. They all have some type of injury including vision loss, hearing loss and other illnesses where they would not survive being released back into the wild. The main goal is to release the dolphins back out and most of them do get set free after they recover.

There are also many other types of animals here including lots of turtles. All were injured at some time. You can see in that (blurry) picture on the bottom that the turtle is missing his front feet.

The new building from the upper parking deck.

Pano across the intercoastal waterway looking towards Clearwater.

Looking toward the beach from the aquarium. I should have gone over for a quick swim but the beach was packed in April, even on a Monday. Parking on the beach is also tough and expensive so there’s that. And, I was starving so it was time to head home for lunch.

Yes, masks were still required in April here. Even though a lot of it is outside, people crowd in front of the windows. Hoping my next trip is maskless.