DAYCATION: CLEAR-BOTTOM KAYAKING
‘A Picture-Perfect View’ Text & Photos By Danielle Veenstra
You’ve never really gone paddling in Central Florida until you’ve navigated the spring-fed waters of the Silver River in an all-new, clear-bottom kayak. It’s like having your own personal glass-bottom boat—with manatees and gator sightings a delightful bonus!
22
OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined
A
shouted “WHOA” shatters the silence of the Silver River as a man in a double kayak points past his feet. His oar lifted high out of the water and his body rigid with shock. The clear kayak he propels offers a bird’s eye view of the river’s bottom. An alligator. It had to be an alligator. Instead, the word “manatees” ripples across a pod of a dozen kayakers who are part of a Silver Springs Get Up and Go Kayaking tour.
Grazing along the riverbed, a pair of sea cows, as large as their nickname suggests, whisker their way through the vegetation they found. They float up like balloons for occasional sips of air before heading back to their feast. Never paying any mind to the frenzy they caused above the water. Nestor Batista, the very surprised kayaker, and friend Jason Rodri-
