Exploring LagoonFest in West Palm Beach

The first ever LagoonFest was a smashing success at the West Palm Beach waterfront Saturday. Various vendors showcased the restoration work more than two decades in the making and costing more than $76 million for this large estuary, often mistakenly called the Intracoastal Waterway.

The estuary is known officially as the Lake Worth Lagoon, which is about 20 miles long and up to a half-mile wide. I know this because I used to supervise the environmental reporter at The Palm Beach Post. And he taught me about all things eco-related.

I was ready to explore the vendor area and take a water taxi to the South Cove Natural Area. I didn't, though, expect to see a pig in my walk through the exhibit area:

Man squats down to pet pig brought by a woman and he asks
the question I was thinking: "Why a pig?"

Some vendors had poster boards of how visitors can help,
such as this one which suggest keeping track of your fishing
line and making sure it is disposed of properly.

Characters like this woman dress as a sea turtle where there
to let visitors know of the creatures in the Lagoon.

I went out on the dock to wait to board a water taxi, operated by Captain Joe's water taxi service, for a free trip to the South Cove Natural Area. Capt. Joe was taking only 30 people at a time on his boat, so I had to wait for the next one. But I was glad for the wait when I saw that Eric Anderson, an environmental analyst with the county's Environmental Resources Management Department, was the tour guide for that water taxi trip.

Anderson starts off by saying the South Cove project was his
"baby" and that it took an unusually long time to get started
because some residents objected to its height and very existence.
They also didn't like the 556-foot-long boardwalk, but the
county firmly believed it was necessary to allow residents
to get out to the natural area to experience it.

Progress such as three intertidal islands framed by rocks
to protect the islands from wave action and to provide a
habitat for oysters.

Once back on land, it was time to see

the Muck Monster.

All told, I added another mile to my walking that day by exploring the free LagoonFest.

Free kayaking

Any of my followers want to join the Lagoon Keepers group with me? It offers the use of a free double-seat kayak to members who agree to pick up trash from the Lagoon and take a picture of it. I figure we need only go out once or twice before the membership pays for itself. If you are interested, let me know in the comments field below.

And now, for my numbers

I had my best walking day last week on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, when I walked:

Steps: 13,055

Miles: 6.5