An Okefenokee Day: Our Tour Boat Ride Into The Swamp

Eric bought tickets for a
Boat Tour.

Our guide, Jimmy, is a seventh

generation "Cracker."

His lineage is Scots-Irish.

The Okefenokee Swamp
is a bowl-like depression.

It was originally part of
the Atlantic Ocean.






Indians lived in the Okefenokee Swamp for over one thousands of years.  They hunted and fished the swampy area.  Europeans and Americans drove them out during the 1700s and 1800s.  Families settled on islands in the Okefenokee Swamp in the 1800s.  They supported themselves with farming, hunting and fishing.

The Swanee Canal Company built canals in the swamp and logged Cypress Trees in the late 1800s. The Hebard Luber Company, Americus Lumber Company along with smaller logging companies harvested wood from the Okefenokee until the 1940s.  

Hikers can stop, sit &

enjoy the view along

this section of the canal.

The Okefenokee Swamp is
fed by rain (about 50 inches
per year) & small streams.

The Saint Marys & Swanee
Rivers originate in the swamp.







Jimmy has been out earlier in the day and knows where the Alligators are sunning themselves.

The five passengers are

oohing & aahing over

the first Alligator.

The ridges on the Alligator
are called Osteoderm.

The Alligators get more sun
because of larger body
surface area.

We are entering the National

Wildlife Area.

Cypress Trees are covered
with Spanish Moss.

There's another Alligator,

off in the distance.

Beautiful...

Serene...

A ridge of grass....

Is it growing or is

it sinking?

Eric is looking for
wildlife... preferably
Alligators.

That's a big Alligator

over there.

It's a cool January day.  The Alligators are dormant right now.  They come up for air and sun themselves.

We are turning onto

Cooter Lake.

It's easy to get great

photos here.

Even though it's dormant,
I'm happy to view the
Alligator from the boat.

Bladderwort is the world's

smallest carnivorous plant.

Vultures fly above us.

Our last Alligator

siting of the day.

Our 90 minute boat tour

ended way too soon.

We thanked Jimmy for 

the ride & tour.