We had a great day on the Withlacoochee River on Saturday, December 3rd, with sunny skies and 78°F. The 7 participants paddled along the scenic river taking in the landscape and observing the old ocean bottom and coral formations left be-hind in the Hawthorne formation of the Eocene. The water level was low this year, even after the recent hurricane the previous month and the rainfall earlier in the week. This made for better collecting opportunities but a few more challenges with the canoes. We were in and out of the 64°F water pulling the canoes through the shallow reaches and wading around the edges of the gravel bar looking for coral heads and prized specimens.