 Two large American Alligator laying in dark blackwater in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Neverwet Golden Club and Yellow Bonnet Lily pads. April 16, 2023; Suwannee River Middle Fork canoe trail. Most of the big alligators concentrate on the larger, open lakes within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Some of the smaller ones may take up residence along the more shallow and constricted runs through the swamp. This pair of large alligators was lurking just off the main canoe trail along the Suwannee River Middle Fork, just a few hundreds yards up from Billy’s Lake. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023. Other alligators along Billy's Lake:
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 Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Southern Blue Flag Iris flower and cypress stump in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia USA. Iris virginica is native to the United States and grows in wet areas such as marshes, swamps, river bottoms, ponds, and shallow water. I have to admit, my lure to the Great Okefenokee Swamp is the alligators and snakes. But for those seeking a less hostile beauty, this National Wildlife Refuge holds treasures for the botanist and flower hunter. At certain times of the year, the blue/purple Southern Blue Flag irises stand tall above the bright Yellow Bonnet Lilies. Vibrant multi-colored spikes of Golden Club protrude from the dark waters. Tiny bells of Lyonia hang gracefully along the canoe trails. And the quintessential American White Water Lilies shine brightly in the prairies and cypress houses. Not to mention the many other species of vegetation and flora. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Large American Alligator laying basking on a log along Minnie's Lake in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 16, 2023. As we paddle near Minnie’s Lake in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the canoe run widens, the Cypress trees overhead part revealing blue sky, and the big gators are seen on various basking spots around the lake. I believe they’ll spend all afternoon and evening lounging in the springtime warmth. This one was quite comfortable, but began to tense up for a quick dive into the blackwater swamp if we came too close. But alas, we paddled on and let it enjoy the sun. Location: Suwannee Middle Fork (red canoe trail) near Minnie’s Lake N30.86050° W82.32346° Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Brown Watersnake, Nerodia taxispilota, basking in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 16, 2023 ©williamwisephoto.com While enjoying a slow paddle up the Suwannee River Middle fork through the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp, somehow my daughter spotted this Brown Watersnake sunning out over the water. It so perfectly blended in with the tangled branches that it would have passed just three feet from my face without me ever noticing it!  Brown Watersnake, Nerodia taxispilota, basking in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 16, 2023 ©williamwisephoto.com The Brown Watersnake, Nerodia taxispilota, one of several species of Nerodia found in the southeastern United States. It is probably the snake that I most frequently encounter while paddling the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. According tot he Savannah River Ecology Lab, “they are most common in flowing water such as rivers, canals, and blackwater cypress creeks. While other watersnakes in our region (banded and red-bellied) are frequently found in temporary wetlands and ditches, the brown watersnake’s preference for fish as prey makes them largely restricted to permanent water bodies, including large reservoirs. Additionally, they travel less over land than other watersnakes and are seldom observed far from the water’s edge. Ideal habitat includes abundant overhanging vegetation, emergent snags, or rocky river banks where snakes may bask.” (source: https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/nertax.htm) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Large American Alligator laying basking on a log in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Scales, epidermal scutes, teeth, claws. Lily pads and moss on cypress log. Minnie’s Lake is always a great destination for a day-paddle in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Launching from Stephen C Foster State Park, Minnie’s Lake is a decent paddle across Billy’s Lake and then about five miles up the Suwannee Middle Fork. Along the way, you pass through the prettiest views in the Swamp (in my opinion) as tall Cypress and Spanish Moss shade the bright sky and cypress knees border the channel, and bright Golden Club and Yellow Bonnet Lilies grace the blackwater river. Upon approaching Minnie’s Lake, the run widens and the skies open up. Minnie’s Lake is filled with verdant Spatterdock that could hide many of the alligators if they weren’t all lounging about on every fallen Cypress tree and stump. We always manage to find a healthy gathering of gators on Minnie’s Lake! Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message Some of the critters found in and around the Stephen C Foster State Park in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.  Corn Snake found on the Sill; Stephen C Foster State Park in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  American Alligator; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 15, 2023 along the Suwannee River (brown canoe trail). ©www.williamwisephoto.com It never fails: whenever I show someone a close-up photo of an alligator that I shot while paddling the Okefenokee Swamp, they say, “Isn’t that dangerous to be so close?” But I’ve paddled the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge many times and haven’t come close to any type of incident. Most of the wildlife in the refuge want nothing to do with people and keep their distance. However, I do have to say that it may appear a bit disconcerting as you paddle for the first time and have alligators “charge” your kayak. The gators typically spend their day on the banks or on top of logs sunning themselves. As they see a canoe approaching they often enter the water and swim towards you. But they are not “charging” the boat! They feel vulnerable when exposed on the high ground, and are simply taking to the cover and safety of deeper water. So it may look like they are "charging" at your boat. But relax, they are just as reluctant to get into a tangle with you as you are with them! Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Large American Alligator with open mouth. Capture release tag on tail from ecology research group. Photographed in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. The Suwannee River Sill Recreation Area in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is an accessible and convenient place to see some large alligators. The long drive to dam runs parallel to the canal. Even if you have mobility issues and can't walk, on sunny days you'll see large gators and softshell turtles basking on the banks, just 30 yards from your car! And because the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab has done a lot of research along the Sill, you may even spot an alligator with a colorful tail tag.  Large American Alligator with open mouth. Photographed in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA.  Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message On Saturday, April 15, 2023, after helping the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab with some alligator capture-tag-and release, my daughter and I paddled from the Sill Recreation Area westward against the current, up the Suwannee River.  Young American Alligator munching on a swampsnake; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. April 15, 2023. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Yellow Bonnet Lily Spatterdock lily pads and flower floating on blackwater swamp at sunrise Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia USA. April 15, 2023. Have you ever read a swamp? Urbanites like me may have read much about the swamp, but don't have the gift that the Swampers have in reading the details of the Okefenokee. According to the great naturalist Francis Harper - no doubt wisdom he gained from the Okefenokee Swampers - when "a boat or a bear passes over a watery Prairie, the bonnet leaves in the trail remain upturned on one side for several hours afterward. The upturned side of the leaf indicates the direction from which the boat or animal has come." Excerpt from Francis Harper's Mammals of the Okefinokee Swamp, published March 1927 Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Thankfully, a rescheduled spring trip to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge! My daughter wasn't able to go for our usual March paddle this year during her spring break. But her class schedule allowed us to sneak in a long weekend in April instead. We arrived at the Stephen C Foster State Park campground late in the evening on April 14 and did a little bit of cruising. I found my second Timber Rattlesnake within the refuge boundaries, but unfortunately it had recently been hit by a car (and was still barely writhing). After sunset, I was able to photograph my first Chuck-wills-widow as several kept landing in the roadway while we were cruising for herps.   Capturing a young American Alligator with a snare for university ecology capture, tag and release research program in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. It takes a team to wrangle a gator! On April 14, 2023, I was excited to be invited to photograph an American Alligator capture-tag-release outing with the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab. When my daughter and I arrived, the action was already in full swing and a gator was being hauled up on the bank for measuring. The team leader, Mark Hoog, uses some heavy-duty fishing tackle to snag the alligator and haul it in for the research team to tag. Having watched a few rounds, most of the alligators were less than willing to participate and gave Hoog quite a workout! As the gator tires and is reeled closer to shore, two researchers stand by with a snare pole and rope to make the final haul-in.  Capturing a young American Alligator with a snare for university ecology capture, tag and release research program in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. Once upon the shore, one of the team sneaks up behind the gators and quickly lands upon its neck and presses the mouth shut. Almost immediately, the other team members take a pre-determined seat along the alligator’s length. Right away, the mouth is safely taped shut and the alligator’s legs are lifted off the ground to prevent it from rolling. Thankfully, most of the gators are fairly tired from fighting in the water that too much resistance isn’t encountered. Once safely restrained, team members measure each alligator’s length and girth in several different areas. A plastic cattle tag is attached to the tail and a labelling code is cut into the scales along the tail. On some occasions, blood is drawn for genetic studies and GPS trackers are attached to the alligators’ backs. Once all the data is carefully recorded, the gators are safely released back into the water.  Measuring an American Alligator for a capture tag release research program by the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab.  Tagging American Alligator tail with ID tag number, capture tag release research program  Tagging American Alligator tail with ID tag number, capture tag release research program  Tagging American Alligator tail with ID tag number, capture tag release research program  Close up of an American Alligator in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  American Alligator s tail tagged with an ID cattle tag for university ecology research program in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, USA. April 14, 2023 ©williamwisephoto.com During my spring 2023 Okefenokee trip, I had the pleasure of being invited to photograph the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab as they captured, tagged and released alligators along the Suwannee River Sill in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Each gator captured is measured multiple ways, blood is drawn for genetic studies, and each is tagged. In case the numbered tag falls out over time, a system of identification is also used by cutting off scales from the tail.  Large American Alligator with ID tag on tail, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. University ecology research capture tag and release program. |
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