Numbers from the Mosquito Lagoon

Results for yesterday's oystering trip to the Mosquito Lagoon:

1. Number of living oysters over three inches the finding of which was the main point of the trip: 0.

2. Number of empty oyster shells: Enough to start forming their own small barrier island.

3. Number of hermit crabs who had happily stolen someone else's shell and were now trotting off with it: 2.

4. Number of mullet splashing "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME I SHINE SO MUCH IN THE SUN"" Eye-watering.

5. Number of dolphins spotted: two.

6. Number of dolphins who were just happily splashing away and minding their own business until a speedboat showed up: Also, not by coincidence, two.

7. Number of boats at what is reportedly a not particularly boat dock in the middle of nowhere on the Mosquito Lagoon: Lots and lots and lots.

8. Number of manatees: 24 (approximately; also the two I spotted when we returned might have been among the same ones we spotted initially going out)

9. Number of pelicans: 0 (That was surprising.)

10. Number of sting rays: 1

11. Number of boats saying, "What, US pay attention to Manatee Idle Speed No Wake signs? Are you kidding me? It's called a SPEEDBOAT for a REASON!": 1

12. Number of kayakers forced to follow Manatee Idle Speed No Wake signs by default: 18

13. Number of dogs unable for a moment to figure out what boat exactly they are supposed to be getting on because PEOPLE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE and LOOK THAT BOAT IS ALSO AWESOME and I LOVE EVERYBDOY WOW THIS DAY IS THE BESTEST DAY EVER: 1

14. Number of teenagers who never learned how to swim complaining that the lifejacket a parent was ordering to be put on was "butt ugly": 1.

(I wore one too since we were in a motorized canoe, but apparently my example wasn't very inspiring.)

15. Number of times I was unable to identify a particular fish: This is humiliating. Let's not go there.

(Though, alas, we did not actually see that many fish, even with the occasional mullet leaping into the air, which is moderately odd since we were not that far off from the enforced no-take zone at Cape Canaveral. Then again the water wasn't always that clear.)

16. Number of seals spotted on a previous trip when no one who particularly cared about seals was anywhere around: "Large group."

17. Number of seals spotted on this trip when someone who loves seals (me!) was around: Exactly 0.

18. Number of herons flying softly over the water: Just enough to justify every moment of the trip, whatever happened with the oysters.

I haven't had a chance to look at the pictures I attempted to take yet, but if any came out I'll post them up here. (Don't count on manatee pictures; both the camera and the manatees were not cooperating at all.)