Lynn, my canoe partner, and I became alarmed when an otter ambushed our canoe.
Bud, my husband, and I joined twenty-seven Georgia Wilderness Society participants for a five-day four-night winter 2008 canoeing, hiking and camping trip. We camped at Goose Pasture, a free campground on the banks of the Wascissa River on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
It was sunny and cool when we canoed the spectacular nine-mile long Wascissa River on Friday and again on Sunday. The clear spring water teamed with birds including bald eagles, barred owls, hawks, great blue heron, green heron, anhinga, American coot, snowy egret, wood duck and other birds. To our amazement many of the birds allowed us pass within a few feet.
River otter frolicked among the reeds while some stood on their hind legs and chirped and whistled as we canoed by.
Lynn, my canoe partner, and I became alarmed when an otter ambushed our canoe on Sunday. We were charmed at first when the otter circled the canoe but became nervous when it tried to climb the canoe’s bow and stern. I shrieked when it hoisted itself into the boat by sinking it’s teeth into the dry bag at my feet. Luckily Lynn kept her presence of mind and scooped the otter out of the boat with her paddle. The otter chased our canoe as we raced away. The otter, to our surprise, ignored two other canoe participants a few minutes later.
We paddled the six-mile clear spring water of the St. Marks River on Saturday. The weather was overcast with occasional light rain.
Although there were many homes and docks there was a surprising amount of wildlife .
My husband and I also hiked the spectacular Ocilla River Trail a couple of miles east of Goose Pasture. The river has many large water filled sink holes and “lakes” (up to a quarter-mile long ) as it flows above and below the ground for about five miles. The trail is surrounded by a sea of thick palmetto and cabbage palm. The leafy canopy of Live Oak, cypress and pine trees are draped in wispy gray Spanish moss. Many of the black lakes and sink holes have beautiful deep walls of white limestone.
Back home in Georgia our spirits remained in Florida’s forests and rivers where the light is brushed with brightness and there is a sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves.
