Biking the "Old Seven" Bridge

Sparky has been biking a couple of times on the Old Seven Bridge which runs from the south end of Marathon for about two miles then ends at the Pigeon Key Historical settlement. You can get off the bridge and go down to the settlement and see some old Florida history, which will cost you 11.00, or you can turn around and bike back, which is what Sparky does.....There is a bike trail you can pick up in Marathon, and ride it east, it runs along highway 1. It's basically a town ride on "sidewalk"....

Biking the old bridge is a straight, flat out ride with the ocean on both sides of you. Not a bad ride, depending on the wind that's blowing at the time...Heading toward Pigeon Key, it's a very slight downhill ride, easy! Coming back, it's slightly uphill....and you better watch watch direction the wind is blowing over the bridge! Some days, it's a TOUGH ride....Ask Sparky how she knows! She ALWAYS forgets that if the ride is easy going the way out, it's gonna be a BEAR coming back in.....

Sometimes you can see some neat stuff if you stop along the bridge railing...other times you'll see not much but beautiful ocean for miles and miles....Today was an EXCEPTION!  Sparky saw SKATES or RAYS, not sure which! There was a difference of opinion on the bridge today...but whatever they were, they were COOOL! They were SWARMING, at least seven or eight of them spread out along a stretch of the bridge. Skates live in cold seas, rays live in warm seas...skates slowly cruise and rays are more active, rolling and jumping at times....Their large pectoral fins are often called wings. The skate's fins are attached at the head. Both rays and skates are closely related to sharks.

And here is a pair.....

It was wonderful to see these and see them in Mother Nature's aquarium! Then, Sparky noticed a couple snapping photos like crazy....MUST BE A REASON! Over to the other side of the bridge she went and saw......

nurse shark courtesy of the web

More than a DOZEN nurse sharks swimming underneath the bridge with a school of amberjacks swimming along the tops of the nurse sharks...WAY COOL! Unfortunately, a little point and shoot camera just doesn't catch the depth of the water, and the details of the sharks with the fish even though it seemed to be shallow. I tried to get them, but couldn't get a good photo...but it was such a cool sight to see! Not sure what the water depth is at the bridge, but if you look hard, you can see the grayish, brownish shapes of the nurse sharks. The amberjack are not showing up in the photo, but there was a whole school of them riding at the top of the group of sharks....It was a very calm day on the waters so it was a great viewing day!....Another gentleman on the bridge said that there was a school of tarpon further down the bridge...Sparky rode on, but didn't see them......

Another great day in beautiful, sunny Florida! See you in Key West next time........