Kayak Camping in Alligator Country! | A Multi_Day Paddling Adventure in the Okefenokee - Part 2

In this episode of Paddle Tales, I'm continuing my kayak camping trip across the Okefenokee Swamp. Now that we're in the Suwannee River, things are changing quickly. In particular, this section is known for its beautiful cypress forests and its extremely healthy population of alligators. In fact, I'm both excited and a little nervous to learn that the section we're paddling through today is well known for being home to the biggest gators in the refuge. Paddle Tales is brought to you by, Hurricane Kayaks, NRS, Aquabound, WileyX, and Outdoor Play. Well, a little sad because it's the final day of this adventure, but this is supposed to be one of the most beautiful sections of river. We'll end with a bang. The section we're paddling today from the Big Water Shelter, a little over 10 miles down to Stephen C. Foster State Park, is just gorgeous, really mature cypress forest on both sides, and it changes from really wide open lakes to really, really tight channels weaving in and out of some of these huge cypress trees, and it's just gorgeous. And it ends out at Billy's Lake, a big wide open lake on the Suwannee River, and we'll get to see some beautiful scenery along the way. Right out of the gate, leaving Big Water Shelter, we're in one of the most incredible prehistoric looking environments with the big cypress, the Spanish moss, the pads, and gators, and immediately we see one of the biggest gators of the whole trip. Oh, that's a big one. Big sucker. Wow. Tails still on shore. Yeah. This section of the Middle Fork is really well known for some large alligators in Billy's Lake as well, and as you get to the west side of the swamp, the alligators grow larger in size, and you can really tell, and there's a couple different thoughts there. It's a much larger habitat for them, deeper water, large lakes, and that can help them to grow larger, and there's some speculation that it might have to do with availability of larger prey, but when you get over here, you start noticing how big these alligators are. Look at that one. That is a creature. One of the coolest parts of this trip is that it's got just breathtaking scenery, but the gator factor. Every shoreline that you paddle along, there can be a big ole reptile, and it can easily be a spooked big ole reptile that just blows up, and having that unknown around every corner just changes the feel of the paddling trip. So that's a little territorial display. I'm guessing he heard us coming and thought we were another gator in his space. I'll tell you what, it worked. It intimidated me a little bit. It's our alligator mating season right now, and they're very, very active this time of year. We've been hearing some alligators bellowing, this really dramatic territoriality display, and we're seeing a lot of these male alligators patrolling their territory, swimming out into the water in front of us. It's really dramatic this time of year. They hear us coming, and they just swim out in front, check us out, and once they realize we're bigger, in theory, they move on. This guy's a little bit more bold. That's a good size reptile right there. Such a cool creature. He's keeping his eye on us, but he's definitely not afraid. Look at that. He's just watching. What's really neat to see is how gators don't just act one way. I mean, there's some gators that are really skittish, and other gators that are really curious. You know, they come right up to you and check you out, and other gators that just look lazy. They're just lying there like, don't bother me. I just want to lie here. You know, you have such a variety in such a small area. Well, the final push, unfortunately. Only one mile to go. I've been fortunate enough to paddle in a lot of cool places around the world, and I can say with complete sincerity that this is one of the coolest places I've ever paddled. And what's so great about it is that it's so accessible. You know, whether you're a beginner or an experienced paddler, you can enjoy this place. And on top of that, Okefenokee Adventures really makes it easy. You don't have to travel with kayaks. They have rental kayaks. They have guided trips. They have even just boat tours. It's very easy to come here and experience what would otherwise be a very inaccessible spot, and it's definitely something you need to put on your bucket list. It's easier than you might think to get out here and explore the Wildlife Refuge, and you can contact Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge about backcountry permits, or you can get in contact with us at Okefenokee Adventures, and we'll set you up with a fully guided trip, and we'd love to bring you out here and show you the Okefenokee. It's an incredible experience. Well, sadly, the trip is coming to an end, but I do take comfort knowing that the next multi-day trip is not too far around the corner, but I can only hope it's in such an incredible place because Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, something else, definitely something to put on the bucket list. I have to say a big thanks to the folks from the Refuge, and in particular, Okefenokee Adventures, who offers kayak and canoe rentals, boat tours, and guided trips into the swamp. They really make this, the Refuge, accessible, and it should be accessible because it is spectacular. If you did like this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up, subscribe to PaddleTV if you haven't already, and keep your eyes open for the full review I'm going to be doing of the Hurricane Tampico 130. This was my first time testing. It's a new boat for this year, and a three-day test here was a pretty great way to test this thing, so I'll be doing a full review of this boat. I'll leave a link in the description box down below, and otherwise, stay tuned for another paddling tip, paddling gear review, or paddling adventure. Ah, sad times, sad times, trip is over. Maybe I could just turn around and start the trip again.