Our first stop today was the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs, where this sign informs you that alligators swim with caution ! I'm glad to see that, and that they swim only in the dedicated swimming area (which is not fenced off) ....
.... but you would not get me to go into this water, despite such a reassuring sign as that above !
With alligators climbing up trees, maybe the water is the safest place to be.
A cormorant attempts to cloud the crystal clear spring water.
On the walk through this park, we came across this spectacular red flower ....
.... and a smaller yellow bloom.
A mushroom colony was thriving on the fallen tree branches ....
.... with both cup-shaped ....
.... and dish-shaped mushrooms.
Two typical swamp views, one with copper-coloured water.
From the Walkulla Springs, we drove on to the St.Marks National Wildlife Reserve, where we photographed this blue flower ....
.... these white flowers ....
.... this blue flower ....
.... a blue dragonfly ....
.... and a yellow dragonfly.
Two individual water lily flowers were amongst ....
.... hundreds of others covering a large sheet of water.
A red-winged blackbird was digging around under the lily leaves for insects ....
.... and it looked as if a bigger bird of prey had left just the skin of a fish.
Alligators were everywhere, and as usual, pretty well camouflaged amongst the undergrowth.
A nice grassy peninsula sticks out into the sea.
There was a large bed of mussels nearby.
A fish eagle surveys the scene from the top of a tree ....
.... before taking flight ....
.... in search of more food.
Another alligator and a heron.
At the end of the park is St. Marks Lighthouse.
Does that mean "No swimming here" ?
From St. Marks Lighthouse, we drove on to the TraveLodge at Ocala (213 miles, 09:30 - 20:00, US $ 37,44 / Euro xx,xx)
