A Lower Keys Roundabout: Marvin Key and Snipe Point!

Part Two:

A Lower Keys Roundabout.

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 (Continued from Part One: Exploring a Higher Ground!)

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Satellite view of sandbar to Marvin and Snipe Keys loop totaled up about 8 miles.

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The sandbar we beached on just south of the Barracuda Keys was an unexpected bonus because of it’s location near the edge of the Gulf. It made a great starting point for exploration of the nearby keys that are fairly closely clustered. For instance Marvin Key is only a mile, and Snipe Point just another couple of miles more! It made sense to check them both out in a big loop of about seven or eight miles.

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This is just like living in paradise!
The only things missing are a loving mermaid and some cold beer.

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Preface: This is Island time!

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Setting off in the crystal clear waters of the Lower Keys.

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My cruising kayak, the “Banana Boat” is a long boat at almost 20 feet. I’ve been using the same Greenland stick to propel her for over 20 years. At 6’2″, my body happens to be the perfect interface between my 20 foot boat and the 97 inch Greenland stick. Is it a paddle or a blade? It is both at the same time! One of the best things about this particular stick is the nice “spring” or “kick” I can get out of it when paddling. It’s very comfortable to hold without gloves and is also very lightweight and self-buoyant. Sometimes though under certain types of sea conditions, it’s good to be able to get more of a “bite” in the water. Consequently I nearly always pair up this stick with my wing paddle for longer trips. The wing provides a stronger bite with lots of instant power on tap when needed. Because it’s quite a bit shorter, it also ups my cadence for a literal change of pace. The extra power isn’t free however, as it takes more energy to drive the wing!

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“A Greenland stick in the tropics!”
This is my favorite touring Greenland stick. It has been providing me with excellent motive force for over 20 years.
Kayakfari ART Photography!

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The Greenland stick and the wing paddle both work on the same principle and pretty much in the same way by “flying” through the water and creating lift to propel forward. I’ve learned to like this characteristic so much that I almost never use a euro-blade paddle anymore, unless I’m forced to for some reason.

The simple beauty and smooth paddling style of the stick is really hard to beat. While it may look like a piece of 2×4, the simplicity is deceptive as the shape and motion embodies some advanced mathematical and fluid dynamics concepts. The Inuit natives who developed and refined it didn’t have to understand any of that. Out of necessity they used the sparse materials available to them to create this tool. It really is among those few inventions that can’t hardly be improved upon, even after thousands of years.

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Nothing but praise and thankfulness. It’s a beaut of a day – BLESS! 🙂

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Mind you I am not claiming to be a “traditional” style paddler. But in recent years all over the world, there has been a growing resurgence and interest in “native” or “traditional” style kayaking within the sea kayaking community. Organizations like Qajaq USA promote a style of paddling where being upright in your boat is just a small part of kayaking! There are dozens of exercises, yoga-like positions and roll techniques to be practiced continuously. It’s a beautiful thing and I would call it both a sport and an art form. The skin on frame kayaks used move organically and with ease in the sea, and are usually half-submerged most of the time. This is the purest form of sea kayaking! It may be poetic to us, but to the Inuits it was also their most important practical survival tool. They hunted sea mammals and made the boats with the skins and bones of these creatures, their only renewable resource! Let’s not forget that the word kayak means “hunter’s boat” and is what enabled Arctic peoples to survive and develop a culture in the far north for thousands of years.

I mention all this here because a lot of people aren’t familiar with the stick and always ask me about it. Often, the lead up is something like “you need a bigger paddle!” or “how can you move with that thing?”. The answer is always “it’s in the way that you use it”! 😉

Personally I just really enjoy and prefer to paddle with the stick (or a wing paddle) and love to spread the word. That’s not to say it’s for everybody or every boat, but when you find the right combo, well as they say “you never go back”!

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Satellite closeup of the Marvin Keys. The northernmost is Marvin Key and is only about a mile from the Barracuda Keys across a large shoal.

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The northernmost Marvin Key is just a mile away due west from this sandbar. Getting there requires going over another sandbar, a very large shoal that stretches almost the entire distance, so it’s good to do this on a rising tide! The other option could be to swing wide to either the north or south and go around it if the tide is low.

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Paddling in from black & white to color en route to Marvin Key.

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This is the little cove and beach on the northwestern tip of Marvin Key and the best access point via kayak.

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Marvin Key has at least a couple of good entry points for kayakers, with the best and nicest one on the northwestern tip. There is a small sheltered cove or lagoon there that’s perfect for paddlers. The island itself has a trail running through it with small vestibules or cul-de-sacs on either side. These look like camp spots, but in all honesty the use that a particular piece of land had been subjected to was a little bit hard to discern!

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Interior path on Marvin Key with “multiple use?” cul-de-sacs on either side.

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A large dog print from a recent canine visitor!

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Marvin Key is one a few undeveloped and privately owned keys inside the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. As such, it has a history of public use and is actually a very popular “locals” spot for lower Keys boaters. On low tide the surrounding exposed sandbars stretch for miles around and invite people to enjoy themselves for a day out in this tropical paradise. Marvin Key is also sometimes mentioned as a backcountry campsite, though being private this should theoretically have the owner’s blessings. In practice this key has a well established record of public usage and is also kept pretty clean. This is impressive since the key and the surrounding areas receive regular use by the general boating public!

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Aerial birds-eye view panorama of kayakers on the cove beach at Marvin Key in the lower Florida Keys backcountry.
CLICK for interactive panorama!

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The water really is crystal clear here off Marvin Key!

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The little cove is beautiful and a great place for snorkeling. As long as you don’t stir up the sand and sediment too much the visibility is really good underwater. In the near distance you will possibly hear crashing surf to the north along the ledge where the Gulf of Mexico starts. If you do venture out snorkeling on the Gulf side, it’s probably a good idea to drift together with your kayak in tow. The currents do run strong here, and this applies to snorkeling too!

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“Wish you were here”
180×360 circular panorama – a summer postcard from Marvin Key!

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“Above the green, below the blue”
Mangrove seedling growing in the shallows off Marvin Key.
Kayakfari ART Photography!

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Spending some time underwater is a great way to cool off and study the fascinating mangrove root formations!

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Red mangrove root under the surface.

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Mangrove roots provide the framework for all life in the Keys waters!

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Do enjoy some:

ART of Darkness – Kayaking the final frontier of imaging and photography!

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“A Psychedelic foray” into Keys colors!
Kayakfari ART Photography!

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Moving on, we had the tides in our favor and paddled effortlessly on top of a foot of crystal clear water. We made the two mile crossing from Marvin Key to Snipe Point in no time. As previously noted, you may have to venture out into the open waters of the Gulf if the tide is low.

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Satellite closeup view of Snipe Point and some of the mangrove islets of the Snipe Keys.

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This is definitely some of the finest tropical paddling!

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Tropical paddling: Closing in on Snipe Point in the Lower Keys backcountry.
CLICK for interactive panorama!

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Snipe Point offers a thin strip of beach and crystal clear water all around!

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Just like the Marvin Key flats, the shallows and sandbars around Snipe Point are a favorite local boating hangout. Expect a crowd to build up, especially on weekends and holidays!

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Remains of Black mangroves dot the shallow pristine waters off Snipe Point.

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“Hands in the Keys”
Kayakfari ART Photography!

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Landing near Snipe Point.

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The lower keys present an interesting mix of features found in the Keys, Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Here are the sandy shoals of the Keys, the mangrove islands of the ‘Bay, and the likes of Horseshoe Crabs which are very common on the Gulf side of Florida, for example.

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Horseshoe Crab molt detail at Snipe Key.

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Mangrove roots underwater in the tidal Snipe Keys finger channels.

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Southwest of Snipe Point is an area known for some amazing mangrove creeks. We decided to get out and snorkel in one for a bit. Because of the wind block from all the mangrove foliage, this was actually the only spot where we encountered mosquitoes. But this was easily solved just by staying underwater! 😉

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A sunbeam peeks under the mangrove roots in a Snipe Keys tidal creek!

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Snorkeling in the mangrove tidal creeks of the Snipe Keys.

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Above and under-water composite of a Snipe Keys mangrove creek.
Mats of filamentous algae cover parts of the seagrass beds in the tidal creeks.

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The Snipe Keys offer a lot of beauty and deserve several repeat visits. I’ll be looking forward to more adventures and exploration of this area in the winter season!

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Aerial Cormorant’s-eye view panorama of kayakers snorkeling in the mangrove tidal creeks of the Snipe Keys, Florida Keys backcountry.
CLICK for interactive panorama!

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“Paddling the blue-green world of the Snipe Keys”
Kayakfari ART Photography!

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Paddling back due northeast we kayaked through a vivid blue-green world of mangroves, water and sky. Somehow on this segment I felt that I had spent more time underwater snorkeling than in the boat kayaking. But that’s ok, it was a treat spending some quality time in the clear waters of the lower Keys!

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Layers of blue-green colors in the clear waters of the Lower Keys!

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Exploring a Higher Ground in the Lower Keys! 🙂

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Satellite view of approximate 20 mile total route paddling through a part of the Great White Heron Wildlife Refuge in the lower Keys.

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Continue to

Part Three:

Temporary space and Faith in Numbers! →

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Go back to

← Part One:

Exploring a Higher Ground!

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© 2015 – 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

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DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

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With that said..
Blessings friends!

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