Safari to Florida-Day 2

Cool pics James. I like the clear spring in the black water. I live 2 miles from the Lumber river. One of the last scenic black water rivers left in NC with unspoiled miles and miles of nature, no houses or "man"!

G reat pics, thanks Jim! I love to see different places!
Need to find more time to have my own adventures this year!

Hate to do this to ya kap. Some heads from private property near White springs on day #2.





They should react well to heat. Will try a small one first.

Little turtle back scraper(bad photo)



Saw palmettos



The reason they call them saw palmettos, but wasp's nests under the fans much more of a concern



Trying to balance in the waist deep flowing water and almost grabbed this rascal, common water snake



Like close, and at face level about a foot away when I noticed him. Not wanting to get in the cold water he is trying to hold his ground.
Was just reaching for that root in front of him to use as a handle. scared the out of me.



Notice how much this creek falls, left is entering ox-bow, right is exiting. Distance around knob is only about 150 yards.
Started coral hunting on the left and the creek returned me back to start on right.



Looking up exit of ox-bow where it spit me out. High banks give me the willies. And snakes have wrapped around my waist in the strong current. Once a moccasin.



Chipped me a pile of tumbles right there in the creek



There was over 50 corals under the sand not two feet in front of the little pile of tumbles. Reach into sand and feel for them.
Pile of tumbles center and a bit left between the cypress knees out of that raging current in the point.



You can see the excavation hole in front of the pile

U go James!

rockpickerforever Jean, that one scared me to the max. It was right there, and being in water it is hard to move quick.
Lots of current and rocky bottom full of snags. Like walking on bowling balls.

Keith will figure the immediacy of the water dynamics. I was tickled that he bought that boat.

This trip without a boat Larry. Climbing up and down steep banks took a toll. Ibuprofen helping out.
Over many years the limerock gets dissolved in the acid water channel and leaves the silica rocks in the bottom of the water way.
The silica sand stays on the bottom too. Where the current is fast it removes the sand and exposes the solids.
The coral will pile up at turns and bends in the water way. Sometimes a foot or two thick of coral heads stacked up.
So the stream dynamics come into play.

Found two crystalline quartz cobbles washed down from Appalachia in this creek. serving as markers
Along with the crystalline quartz, clay probably washed down too.
Flat areas above creeks and rivers at 71-74 feet above sea level are productive in this 10 mile circle.
The coral found in sand is dead white/clearish. The ones in colorful clay pockets have rich color.
The problem is finding the small colored clay pockets, few and far between. And picking the coral from these pockets.
Picking them at the clay pocket before they fall in the river and mix with the mostly white coral in the water way.

In all cases the water way has to be fast moving to keep sediment from covering up the coral.

Just the snakes spirit. And they roost on the sun facing banks to stay hot. Watch where you put your feet and hands.
These high flow creeks are spring fed with high flow rate at 72F. The reptiles try to stay out of the water to avoid lethargy.
This creek flows into a small river that does not provide habitat for large gators.

However, another creek about this size flows into the large L George. The big lake gators swim up it from the lake.
That creek is a bit of an interstate for huge gators. It has gator attacks; it is also a commercial kayak/canoe run.
They are specific about staying in the canoe. I know of 3 attacks on that creek, one resulted in a death. One of the attacks
was on a man snorkeling and a 9-10 footer grabbed him head first and broke his sternum. He managed to get the gator to let go.
Must have been dark inside that gator's throat.

Wife and I were pulling my buddy while he was snorkeling behind the canoe on that creek in about 4 feet of water and noticed a ~12 footer laying on the bottom.
The current was too strong to stop so my buddy had to suffer floating over that monster right under him.
I could hear him screaming thru the snorkel LOL. He stayed in the canoe for the rest of the trip.

LMAO, wouldnt get me in those waters. Trolling with bait!
Ahh yes, gators not crocs. Thanks for the correction.