It is rare that a place can be so enveloping that it crowds out everything else and holds you in the moment. In that time, for that time you are reminded that life is good and the world is a wondrous place.  That feeling, that’s what I’d bottle.

The inky black water is as smooth as glass. A breath of breeze moves the cool morning air.  I slip along, amazed at the perfect reflections of moss covered cypress in the mirror-like surface.  I am acutely aware of how quiet it is…no people, no cars, not even aircraft.  Then the senses take over.  I hear the “who cooks for you” call of an owl, the trill and knock, knock, knock of woodpeckers.  My skin is hot to the touch from the brilliant sun making drips from the paddle feel like ice water.  Insects buzz.  I can hear salamanders climbing trees and the scratch, scratch of a turtle’s feet as it scrambles for better purchase on its sunning log.  Butterflies float and flit, their shadows trace a path on all that is below.  There is the smell of wet earth punctuated with the honey sweet scent of wildflowers that hangs in tree sheltered passages.  Alligators sun on the banks and floating mats of vegetation; some eyeing us, some ignoring us, and others moving to sink slowly into the black depths. The here and now commands all my attention. 

We make a turn. This path has oncoming current making paddling a bit more challenging.  I am pulled out of my reverie as eyes, mind, and muscles work to move though the magnificent slalom course laid by cypress.  The physical challenge extends the profound awareness of the present moment.

We do indeed need the wild places of this world. They renew us and remind us not to take for granted the beauty that is all around us.  Thank you Okefenokee.

It is a chilly 46F this morning but the forecast includes lots of powerful Georgia sunshine so we head out early to paddle Okefenokee.  The first two miles are along a paddle-only trail (no powerboats) and it is more like poling than paddling.  We twist and turn through a narrow path that is thick with lily pads and floating mats of moss. Progress is slow but it gives us lots of time to check out the wildlife.

Finally, it feels good to break out into the open channel.

It is warming up and the alligators are getting more active. We spot the telltale eyes and a snout in the smooth water.  As we move closer, it sinks silently into the depths.  That is a very creepy sight!  We slide past moss draped cypress trees.  Hawks call in territorial dispute.  The wide open wetland prairies are home to flocks of blue heron, egrets and Ibis.  Great blue heron go about their solitary hunt in the shallows.

The sun is baking down now. Alligators line the shore.  Some guard their grassy nests.  Most ignore our passing.  A few slide smoothly down the banks into the safety of the dark still water.  I wonder how many we floated over and never even knew were there?  We made it through the entire day without seeing even one snake.  Nice.  I wonder how many of those we passed unseen?

We pull out. It was a good day on the water.

Our destination is Sandfly Island.  We launch our kayaks into Chokoloskee Bay and the island strewn rim of the Gulf of Mexico at Everglades City.  We catch the final stages of low tide and ride the current out toward the maze of mangrove islands just a mile or so out.  There is a light breeze and warm sun.  Perfect.  We are along a channel but powerboat traffic is light and the float a peaceful one. Hmm, Sandfly Island is supposed to have a dock and we should have seen it by now.  Map check time.  Turns out we are in Indian Key Pass not Sandfly Island Pass.  Oops.  No biggie we just explore the side bays and channels until the tide starts back in then ride the current back toward our launch.  We take a brief detour to prove to ourselves that can indeed find Sandfly Island Pass (we did) then catch a favorable wind that pushes us all the way home.  Our path carries us across the wild splashing of a feeding frenzy of two bottle nose dolphins.  It was wondrous to watch.

Imagine looking up at tree roots and those roots have barnacles and oyster shells on them. That’s what happens at low tide in a kayak among red mangrove.  These trees are amazing.  The elegantly curving stilts of the intertwined roots create islands in the open water then the falling leaves decay creating soil to build land and an entire interdependent ecosystem develops.

We had an “I can’t believe what I am seeing” moment. A reddish tan long bodied mammal was swimming between islands out in the pass.  This picture is pretty grainy but my first impression was maybe a fox but with this pic we think it was a Florida panther.

Just a few boat lengths into our trip we come upon a manatee hanging out in the boat basin. We watch for a couple sneezy sounding breaths then we head out into the bay.

The air is cool, breeze light and the water calm. It is a perfect morning on the water.  Did you notice, I didn’t say anything about mosquitoes?  That’s right, no mosquitoes out here.  Hooray!

We have been forewarned that much of the bay is mudflat at low tide so we are pretty mindful of water depth as we move along. We are setting out at high tide so ought to have five or six good hours before we have to fret about being stranded….we think.  A path right along the mangrove lined shore is said to be deep enough for a safe return even near final low tide.

Pelicans are perched in the mangroves….I see the bright white poop splashes on the leaves even before we see the birds. Little Blue herons seem to like this area as do the white morph of the Great Blue.  We are on the watch for a Flamingo some claim visits the flats at low tide.  Today the only pink critter to be seen is a Roseate Spoonbill.

The water in front of us boils. Fins appear.  A pair of dolphins in a series of coordinated moves is feeding on a school of fish.  It looks like maybe they have done this before.

Clusters of wading birds begin to gather in what was just an hour ago open water. The outgoing tide is exposing ever expanding mudflats in about every direction.  The quiet is broken by an approaching swoosh of hundreds of beating wings.  Flocks of Black Skimmers pass us by on their way to some favorite flat.  Terns call to each other as if in conversation as they pass overhead.  Herons and Egrets squawk in greeting or territorial dispute as they head to feeding grounds.  Fish swirl around us and mullet jump clear out of the water.  We float a while to watch then catch a perfect light breeze that has developed just in time to carry us home.

Check out this close up look at an Osprey having lunch.

It is a good way to experience the wet wilderness of the everglades