Squatch & Siren Adventure Guides finds the magic in the local environment

Palm Valley ‘ecotourists’ take explorers out to the area’s often overlooked natural resources

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Launching a kayak in the Intracoastal Waterway at night, you might notice how simultaneously loud and strangely quiet it feels. The water slaps the side of the boat like it’s trying to wake it up. There is a distant hum of cars along Roscoe Blvd. or soft music playing from someone’s porch. You might whisper even though it’s plain there’s nobody to hear you. 

Paddling out, the light from the roadway, homes and restaurants recede and suddenly it’s dark — really dark. The blackness fills with the sound of frogs and crickets competing to command the air with chatter. The night sky seems to have taken its cue to light up and the surface of the water looks like ink. In it, however, soft orbs of glowing bioluminescent jellyfish float by as if attempting to imitate the sky above them. The kayak glides over the two worlds, positioned halfway between. 

A true adventure reveals the magic of our world. Traveling is completely irrelevant to wonder, which doesn’t live within borders. As it stands, Ponte Vedra natives, Serena Bass and Alex Tabone, can certainly vouch for the local area’s ecological enchantments. The couple is also known as Squatch & Siren Adventure Guides, so for anyone looking for an adventure, they’ll help you find it.   

According to “Siren” Bass and “Squatch” Tabone, Ponte Vedra’s backyard is teeming with wonder, breathtaking views and bristling wildlife. They offer either a stand-up paddle board experience or kayak adventures in local waterways — the Intracoastal, St. Johns River, Suwanee River or Silver Springs. Their “eco” tours are tailored to anyone, resident or tourist.

“Our target customer is anyone interested in clean drinking water,” said Bass. 

As lifelong residents of the area, the couple is not only interested in sharing an experience in nature with others but preserving the natural state of the waterway, which they also live on. 

“We (first) got involved in cleaning up trash,” Tabone said. “The more you go, the more you're noticing (harmful) algae growing on the eel grass.” 

In addition to intimately experiencing the local wildlife — such manatees, dolphins, oak hammocks and even (gasp) alligators, the couple helps explorers see how environmental damage has changed the natural landscape. Bass said that looking through her photographs of the area over time, she could see how the runoff from septic tanks and golf courses were impacting the places she loved and grew up with. 

“The same issues that plague the river also do (Florida’s) springs,” she said. 

The two guides are well familiar with the subtle nuances of the area in which they live. Bass is a fourth-generation Palm Valley resident and has lived on the land her whole life. Tours include a historical perspective as well, with tales that can only be told by generational residents. Bass said during prohibition, many locals would distill illegal liquor on the islands along the Intracoastal.

“There were no people around the area then and so it was really easy to go fast and in the dark,” she said. “My grandpa called it “putting up fenceposts.” He would say he was going out in the woods to put up fenceposts. I guess that was the code word for making moonshine.”

In fact, if you take the time to look, “you can still find old bottles on the islands,” Tabone said.

As if there wasn’t enough magic to the tours, Bass is also, incidentally, a mermaid.

In addition to the guided adventure tours, the couple provides, “Mermaid Parties,” “FinFun Mermaid University,” (for learning to swim like one) and a “Siren Sighting” tour where children can join and “spot” a mermaid lounging on the banks of the Tolomato River in St. Augustine. 

Bass makes her own mermaid accessories, bejeweled shell bra and functioning flipper included, and sells them on the website for any prospecting mer-people. 

“There's a huge mermaid community, actually,” Bass said.

While it is clear Bass successfully holds the “Siren” position of the Adventure Guides, the “Squatch” aspect of the duo seems to rest on Tabone needing a shave. Regardless, the two’s adventuring days are far from over. They are working on opening a new tour for Rum Island Spring and Park, on the Santa Fe River. The couple is looking at having the tour available soon. Currently, they are offering the daylight, sunset and starlight paddles on the Intracoastal, stand-up paddle summer nights (featuring a six-person SUP board), Swamp to Gulf: Sweep the Suwannee and Silver River Saturdays. 

“If you're looking to go outside and have an adventure,” Bass said. “We’ll find something fun to do.”

For more information or to book a tour visit squatchandsiren.com, email squatchandsiren@gmail.com or call (904) 607-9497.