It's been a long while since I updated this blog. Due to last year's fire, the Okee was closed to paddlers for the entire season. We set out from the Folkston, Ga entrance to the park yesterday morning. Water levels are way down due to drought. That means all of my gator friends have moved into the main waterways, making for a LOT of gator sightings.

All totaled, we counted 61 alligators in the 9-mile paddle.

It's the beginning of mating season, so many of them were beginning to pair up.

Of course, alligators aren't the only thing worth looking at in the swamp.

It's amazing how quickly the swamp seems to recover from devastating fires.

I'd like to thank these gators above in particular for being such great sports and posing for the camera for me. If you haven't been out in the Okefenokee in a canoe or kayak, you are really missing out on a great experience. Taking the motorboat tours will not let you experience the majority of the wildlife because they hide from the noise of the motor.