I rock the craft a little, then paddle in reverse. After much audible crunching and scratching, I am free of the bed. I perform this act countless times during the daylong excursion as the ebbing tide makes the going more treacherous in shallow water. But the gifts bestowed upon us by Mother Nature far outweigh any inconvenience the oysters cause. This part of Florida's coastline is known as the ''Nature Coast,'' and for good reason.
Wildlife abounds, attracted by healthy habitats.
As we paddle Atsena Otie's shoreline, we see two osprey nests set solid in the tops of skyscraping trees. One of the nest's residents glides over us with a fish in its talons. Suddenly, a dozen or so tiny fish jump from the water and skim over its surface for several feet, fleeing from the jaws of an unseen predator beneath the surface. Far overhead, frigates soar, their silhouettes reminiscent of the dinosaurs from which they descend. As we rest near the shoreline, we see snail eggs laid in orderly rows on blades of seagrass that wave alongside the nubby, upright roots of a black mangrove tree, its glossy green leaves encrusted with salt.