We left in the morning for the 30 mile trek to an anchor spot we found on Active Captain. It is the closest we could find to the Sebastian Inlet and still anchor in 6 feet of water. The morning proved to be more than we expected as we cruised the beautiful estuary area between Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.
We were passing boats of all sizes including sails, catamarans, cruisers and lots of fishing boats heading out for their morning catch. We didn’t expect that we would have several trailing dolphins several during this stretch. The pods of dolphins followed directly behind our boat in the wake. They liked the big wakes more than the little ones as they played and we cheered them on for more. In fact one dolphin started the whole thing when we heard his familiar squeal behind the boat. Both Aiden and I went back and started clapping and coaxing them. Sure enough there were at least 5-6 jumping our wake and enjoying the applause. They continued to dive and jump at the rear of the boat in the wake for several miles. We had to slow for a slow moving boat and they moved on. What a great experience.
As we traveled past Vero Beach the many marinas and large homes stood out. The homes were equal in size to the ones south but it seemed they had more land which were perfectly manicured. The water is a crystal blue colour and really clear. I’m sure we can see several feet down.
Then again as we started up again more dolphins started jumping in our wake. We could see them at the back of the boat just under the props as they kept the same speed and then would give us a show with a jump. We would take pictures and videos as they jumped. They continued with us for several miles again until we had to slow down for other boats. Then we saw 2 manatees. One was just coming up for air as Scott happened to notice him. Then another had a flipper come out of the water and Aiden caught sight of him.
Eventually we found our anchor spot just off the channel leading out to the Sebastian Inlet. It is not protected from winds at all but we checked the forecast and winds are to die down overnight and only start building by tomorrow afternoon. Our spot is just off the channel, before the sea grass area in about 6 feet of water. The tide here is only about 4 inches where the inlet is 2 feet. So we feel comfortable staying put. There is a bit of current from the tidal flow.
We headed by dingy to the inlet area where there is a safe and shallow snorkeling area deemed excellent. It is a beach area, with rocks at the water side of the inlet to allow a safe haven for swimming for the smallest of persons. The beach is a white soft sand. You can snorkel by these rocks on the “lagoon’ side in about 3 feet of water. For the more experienced snorkel you can go on the outside of the rocks on the inlet side and ride the tide either in or out depending on the direction. Note that at tide changes the current is at least 3 knots. Be sure you know the direction of the tide before heading outside the rocks to snorkel. Both spots are excellent for viewing fish and sea life.
After a day of snorkeling we headed to the beach which is on the other side of the “lagoon’. It was only a 5 minute walk to this secluded beach area. The pier has several local fisherman, the beach is one of the most natural beaches and doesn’t have many people. The beach has untouched shells which includes finds of several types of very large intact shells. On a calm day you could spend all day swimming, searching for shells, snorkeling, and beach time. There are no amenities close by so bring whatever you need.
