Saying ‘Ahoy’ to the Town of Marineland Marina

It’s time to drop anchor in Flagler County with the opening of the Town of Marineland’s new municipal marina. The Marineland Marina has opened its ports with a brand new facility creating a new destination for boaters on the Intracoastal Waterway between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, FL.

No one is more excited than this insider for the Town of Marineland Marina Grand Opening celebration on Saturday, August 20, 2011. A myriad of activities are planned for the day which include kicking off the grand opening with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 2:30 pm. Live bands will be playing from 3:00 pm to 8:30 pm with local band Seaweed pumping out tunes in the early afternoon and Tammerlin out of Jacksonville closing out the evening with their worldly “focklectic” sound. Come prepared to eat with scrumptious delights from JT’s Seafood Shack like yummy fish fry and seafood! And don’t worry; you’ll be able to wash it all down with beer, wine or a soda. Raffles will be happening all day with prizes such as: free dockage for a weekend or an entire month at the Town of Marineland Marina, a 3 day / 2 night stay in a 3 bedroom Ocean View Suite at the Hammock Beach Resort, 2 rounds of golf from Palm Harbor Golf Club, dolphin program at the Marineland Dolphin Adventure, kayak tour from Ripple Effect Ecotours, floating handheld VHF radio, gift certificate for JT's Seafood Shack and more.

If you’re looking to come by boat, make sure to come early or make a reservation. Boat slips are going fast for the grand opening and reservations are required for vessels 26’ and up. Rates are only $1 a foot for large boats and vessels up to 25’ are encouraged to take advantage of our floating docks free of charge on a 1st come 1st serve basis throughout the event! Make your reservations with the dock master, Chris Kelley at 904.814.9886, now to spend this festive weekend at the marina and ask about Grand Opening discounts for dockage!

That’s all for this insider! I look forward to seeing you all out there for this weekend of maritime fun!

About the Town of Marineland Marina: This brand new municipal marina is designed as a mariner’s retreat in this remarkable track of coastal marsh. The marina is surrounded by 40,000 acres of unspoiled beaches, maritime forests, and pristine coastal habitats that represents coastal Florida in its natural state. This is truly a destination for boaters seeking the quiet side of Florida.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no wait it really is a bird.

It is always the right time to go birding in Flagler County; however, for those of you in Flagler last month you may have heard about a little event called the Florida Birding & Photo Fest. This 4 day event held annually in April is centered on the majestic aerial creatures that live in and migrate to our spectacular area and the people who love to photograph them. Not a birder? You may be a convert by the time you leave this festival. This particular North Florida local is not a birder by trade or hobby but I was nothing short of amazed at all there is to learn about the animals that take flight above us.

New to the festival were Jonathan and Susan Wood’s Raptor Project which featured roughly 20 dynamic raptors from diverse habitats, including that of Northern Florida. This exhibit, which was located indoors, was nothing short of exciting. Uncle Sam, an American Bald Eagle, sat on his perch in grand fashion and was so still that upon initial inspection one would not know that he was indeed a living breathing mammal. And then, he moved with a wing span that would be between 66 – 96 inches; however, Uncle Sam had been injured and one of his wings was permanently clipped rendering him unable to show off his expansive wings. Sam was only one of the many raptors that took stage during the show, but my favorite was the Eagle Owl, a large and dominating bird that only weighs a few ounces.

The program also features keynote speakers, field time and workshops to help master the art of bird photography … or just photography for that matter. Meeting renowned photographers is a given here and they are more than willing to sit and cha

t with you. And this particular festival is a great way to learn about different types of equipment to use out in the field and after. Look for this event in April 2012 and definitely stay in touch on VisitFlagler.org for this and other exciting events.

Looking for something to do now? Flagler County has 5 trails listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail and a myriad of birding opportunities countywide. Grab a beginner’s book and some binoculars for a fun and educational outing with your family. Locals can join the Flagler County Audubon Society as well! Want to get outdoors, but not spend the entire time with your eyes on the skies? Try out the Environmental Education Fair on Saturday, May 21 at the west end of the River to Sea Preserve for a day of fun, food and more! This 2^nd Annual Event features nature walks led by naturalists, kayaking opportunities, music, pirates, games and much more!

That’s all for this Insider. Make sure you stay up-to-date with local events happening all summer long through our community calendar. Happy trails!

It’s Time for Whale Watching!

The time of year is here where North Atlantic Right Whales can be seen up and down Flagler County’s coastline. To honor this special time of year, Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area coupled with local author & owner of Ocean Publishing, Frank Gromling, for “Coffee with a Ranger” to talk about the right whale, where it hails from and why it has chosen to be a snow birder and spend winter off of Flagler County’s coast. Here’s what we learned:

The North Atlantic Right Whale is one of the most endangered whales in the world and is covered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Like many endangered species, this whale was once prevalent in Atlantic waters, but was aggressively hunted down until 1935 from numbers of 10,000 down to 100 with only 3 females capable of reproducing to preserve the species. This rather large baleen whale resides in SE Canadian Waters (think Nova Scotia) and off the coast of New England.

The name “Right Whale” came from the animals’ slow nature, tendency to remain close to shore, fearlessness of approach and large quantities of blubber (an amazing 40% of the right whales body weight is blubber) – making it the “right” whale to hunt. Unfortunately, the species namesake also turned out to be what lead to their “almost” demise. Of the right whales mortality, 50% was caused my humans (hunting), 40% cause by being struck by large boats and 5-10% caused by entanglement.

The right whale has slowly increased in numbers over the years from an astonishingly low count of 100 in existence to 473 known right whales to date. And that brings us to why the North Atlantic Right Whale is here in fantastic Flagler County. Scientists believe that the pregnant female right whales need to birth in a place where the water is reasonably warm and shallow as new calves do not have any blubber. So during the winter months, the female right whales will migrate south for birthing; however, the adult males and females who are not birthing will stay in the cooler waters off of the north east coast in New England and Nova Scotia. Flagler County has the warmer temperate waters and a very shallow coastal plane. So shallow that one would have to travel 35 to 40 miles to get out to 100 feet of water.

What does all of this mean? That the right whales are here and now is the time to pull out your binoculars and head out to the beach to do some real whale watching. No binoculars? Don’t worry; you can see them without visual aids. My favorite spots to whale watch are the Flagler Beach Municipal Pier, the landing at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park beach access and the boardwalk at Marineland. Important items to note: North Atlantic Right Whales are an endangered species and you must stay 500 yards away from them (or more) whether you are in a boat, kayak, surf board, plane, etc. Play it safe and make sure to check them out soon as right whales will begin their migration back home mid-March.

Want to help? The Marineland Right Whale Survey Project was established to help track right whale progress and is asking for citizens to please call the right whale hotline if you’ve spotted a North Atlantic Right Whale. For sightings, please call 1.888.979.4253 and provide the location of the whale(s), number of whales and calves, direction they are swimming, if dolphins are present and also make sure to provide your name and contact information.

*A note about Frank Gromling: As mentioned above Frank is the owner of Ocean Publishing, a traditional press that was established in Flagler County in 2002. He is also the author of Frank’s Whales which describes the efforts of the small group of volunteers who do their part to help save the North Atlantic Right Whale. All of the information above was provided by Mr. Gromling at the “Coffee with a Ranger” program and while he states that he is not a scientist, he is certainly passionate about saving this endangered species.

**Photo courtesy of the Marineland Right Whale Survey Project. See more on their blog!

Run, run, run!

With so many New Year's Resolutions to accomplish it's hard to pick just one to focus on, but the ever popular mantra to "Exercise More" notably comes back around year after year. With that, this Flagler Insider decided to take the initiative to figure out how to stop "wunning", a fun combination of walking & running and start really running. And I can't think of a better place to begin this lofty goal than right here in Flagler County.

Did you know that we have over 70 miles of trails here in Flagler? Between the cities, county and other interested parties, we have a variety of different pathways to becoming physically fit. The City of Palm Coast has even produced a new map of city parks and trails offering the incentive to "Trek it Out". And coming in the future a county wide trails map will be available so you can map out all of our 70+ miles of breathtaking trails. Not a trail runner? When the tide is right, running on the beach offers a view like no other and there are 19 miles of it to choose from!

There are even more reasons to lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement. The City of Palm Coast is hosting the first annual half marathon with the option of a 5k and fun run for those not yet prepared to put 13.1 miles on their feet in one day. The race begins at the Palm Coast Marina and winds through various trails with scenic views of the hardwood hammock and coastal preserves through Palm Coast. Want to sign up or learn more about it? Check out Visit Flagler or the City of Palm Coast for information on how to get involved.

Want a little more time before your first run? There are plenty to choose from this year with the Palm Coast Chamber's "Run for your Life" 5K/10k in March and the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" coming to Flagler Beach in April. A new race coming to the west end of Flagler County (think Korona and Favoretta) is presented by FL-Roc and will definitely change your perception of what a 5k is. This is a running obstacle challenge that includes hay bail hurdles, a mud leap, military wall and an overhead water pull. And that's only a sample of what they have planned for the day.

No matter which course you choose from, make sure you follow basic safety precautions prior to running:

1. Wear running shoes – shoes made for running will have the padding and support you need before hitting the pavement.
   
2. Stay hydrated – drink 6-8 oz. of water every 20 minutes for runs that last an hour or more.
   
3. Stretch & Recover – you should not run every day while training for any race. Recovery and stretching are necessary.
   
4. Pre-Train – Don't just jump into it. Find a pre-training routine that works for you by researching online or asking a trainer at the gym.
   
5. Nutrition – Eating properly is crucial to training for any race. Carbohydrate and protein intake is key. Make a date with a nutritionist to plan your dietary goals for race training.
   

That's all for this insider! I'll see you out on the trails!