Part One

The day started off just like any other day in paradise on the tiny island of Chokoloskee which I have come to call my home. The only exception was I had the pleasure of my sister, Janet, visiting from Massachusetts. Chokoloskee Island lies between Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Just like every typical morning, my sister and I began our day sipping tea looking out amongst the stillness of the majestic royal Poinciana and the bursting flower buds appearing as orange cluster sparklers which were hanging from queen palms framed through the lanai screen. It was an unusually hot and humid July morning. The snowbirds had fled quickly north to avoid the arrival of the Everglades swamp angels … my favorite time of year!

We give credit to our angels or mosquitoes for the solitude of our wonderful summers. They have also been useful in keeping the land preserved as well as the remoteness of the lands. The only way our swamp angels are controlled in summer months is when they run out of space to hold them as we do not allow spraying on our unincorporated island.

My sister was reminiscing about her first summer visit with me in the Glades. We talked of how we traveled 100 miles in my boat down the Wilderness Waterway from Chokoloskee to Flamingo. Not once did we pass another boat on this excursion. I didn’t even know what a G.P.S. was then and the only way of getting around was to learn the lay of the land through the maze of mangrove islands … studying tree lines and formations. I was fortunate that many of the old time locals took me under their wing and showed me around to some places I wouldn’t even dare take anyone else. There are some places out here that you just don’t go unless you are considered one of ‘them.’ Secret places, secret creeks, and secret islands. On this particular trip my sister was recalling the time we made a pit stop so she could take care of business. I pulled the boat over to an island surrounded by mangroves and waited on the boat. Before my sister exited the boat, I pointed out some gators basking in the water and cautioned her to be careful. Within seconds she came running around the corner screaming and flapping her arms, like a big bird ready to take off in flight. In what apparently seemed like some sort of instant reaction, she dashed and flew right in the water, as I watched in fear as her head came up with gators all around her. I quickly jumped in and pulled her out as I knew what a real fatality it could become.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     As While reminiscing, we both laughed as I retold how the clouds of mosquitoes and ‘no see ums’ (an insect I believe consists only of one big biting jaw of teeth) sucked her dry in a matter of seconds. I laughed recalling the panic and fear seen on her face as a hungry circle of gators seemed ready to devour her.  I always thought that this would be her highlighted visit in the Glades; the foremost memory that she would always revisit in her lifetime of memories here. Little did I know what this hot, humid, July afternoon would bring.

All my friends and relatives knew that if they wanted to have a really great vacation full of challenges and adventure, and experience the real swamps, just come visit me. I could fill quite a few volumes with some of these experiences, but for now I will write of my rather frightening experience of this particular day …. what lay ahead … lurking out of a strand of cypress trees.

The heat of the morning delayed us from moving too quickly but we soon talked each other into getting motivated to begin a new adventure. We quickly dressed and packed up a few essentials; mosquito dope, mosquito nets, water, and my camera gear. When I went to start my vehicle, I realized I had left the interior lights on from evening before. It took a few cranks turning the key in the ignition ... I surmised the battery had somewhat drained and become low, but soon we were on our way. My sister commented on the slow start seeming a bit concerned.  I told her she needed to stop being a ‘worry wart’ informing her that the battery should regain its charge as soon as we got moving. With no particular destination in mind, I headed west down the Tamiami Trail. On the side of the road stood a few big bucks, I quickly stopped my car and ran across the road and followed them into the brush. They had stopped and turned and stared at me for a few seconds and I snapped their picture and watched them prance off on their merry way.

Back to the car, I started telling my sister of the first real panther sighting I had experienced recently with my neighbor, John Spurlock, while exploring Loop Road.  I had missed capturing that photo as I was too busy trying to change lenses to a telephoto. I vowed next time I would just snap the picture, and then attempt to check my lenses and settings for what I felt would capture the best image.  A picture considered good or bad is better than coming up empty handed when faced with an unusual photo opportunity, especially since my neighbor told me it was a ‘black’ panther and I clearly saw a Florida Panther or Texas Cougar that was just shadowed from the sun.  I had seen many panthers in capture, it’s just a whole different sensation to experience one of these fellas out in the wild.

As we approached the old historical Monroe Station - a location I had filled in as an extra on the Walt Disney Movie, Gone Fishing - I took a right onto Loop Road, the road of my panther sighting. I told my sister to keep an eye up in the trees as I often had captured pictures on film of owls or birds nesting. (This road five years ago was treacherous.) The pot holes were so big and some full of water, it would be easy to take an axle off a vehicle, never the less get a flat tire. The road was made for swamp buggies, at least jacked up four wheel drive terrain vehicles or I would say one was taking a chance. The road has quite a bit of unique places along the banks, as I have taken many a swamp walk, sometimes waist deep or higher in water to explore the interior habitats.

Big Cypress Preserve has an immensely varied landscape and acts as a sanctuary to protect and preserve thousands of acres of undeveloped land. Despite its name, it has much more than just cypress trees; there are saw grass rivers, hammock islands, wet prairies; just a haven for wildlife and refuge for all kinds of animals-large and small-especially during wet season. Many are endangered or threatened and can be found no where else. There are panthers, bears, gators, deer, armadillos, birds, snakes, fish, frogs, lizards, spiders, insects, and the list goes on with all kinds of predator and prey. Loop Road is just the perfect place to experience many of these varied landscapes - plants and vegetations - as well as wildlife.

I sensed my sister’s excitement as I continued to tell her more about my panther sighting.  I pulled my vehicle over and stopped. I told my sister to get out of the car; I was going to show her where the panther had come from when it crossed the road. Both of us exited at the same time, I grabbed my camera and we walked to the side of the road. There was a small foot high mound running along the side of the opening. We both stepped up and I pulled some foliage and tree branches up and over with my arm while looking down to watch our step and at the same time holding onto my camera. We were only there a few seconds or so and as I was about to look up and point to the area to show my sister where I felt the panther had come from, when out of the blue, my sister started screaming frantically, pulling on my clothes, and yelling to me, “Come on, come on, Judy, Get in the car, hurry, hurry, Juuuudy” as she stumbled off the small mound and ran to the car.

While this was happening I had looked up across the saw grass into a cypress strand tree-line and for a second - that seemed like minutes - my eyes halted on a site as I stood in awe. For that instant I felt as though I was just blankly staring at it … as it stood in front of me … also stopped dead in its trance, feeling an instant magnetization from my eyes to the creature’s eyes as it stared and stood motionless in front of me. I felt as if I was in another whole world … it was a mesmerizing moment. One thing was clear … although part of me wanted to make a run for it, I did not want to just walk away from that scene … and my legs had felt like they were going limp. What lay ahead in front of my eyes appeared in this time uncreated.  I held my breath as I felt my heart stop as my hands trembled and fumbled reaching for my camera. Sweat poured down my face from the unbearable heat of that hot, bright, humid, swampy afternoon.

If you were out in the Florida swamps, how would you feel if you experienced a “Skunk Ape” sighting such as this?  Remember that what you feel you are looking at is very real to you, you have no protection, no civilization or help for miles and miles, and a vehicle you hope will start.  Also keep in mind, you can’t just start chasing whatever it is that lurks out in front of you ... something so large that it is considered a “Big Foot’ in many areas of the country.  Furthermore, it is wet season and the Cypress wetlands have poorly drained soil that consist of an organic surface of matted peat, periphyton, and clay material that acts like sponges. As water rises from the dry season, these layers of muck rise to the surface with plants that have grown on the roots that hold the muck together. As the water sinks into the ground and settles into aquifers, this is what acts like sponges to the feet. Sure, you can go on muckity muck swamp walks out here, but you need to be prepared as you could get stuck if you don’t watch your footing. Sink holes act like quicksand and if one does not know how to pull themselves out if sinking in one ... then as the name denotes they will just sink in the hole and sink and sink and sink.  Even if you do know how you could possibly pull yourself out, you'd better hope there is a good heavy size stick to bear the weight of your hands to gain leverage to possibly survive through such a frightening experience. I had heard of one guy that was alone in the swamps; he stepped into a sink hole and quickly sunk chest deep in muck. Three days past before he was luckily found; dehydrated, swollen and chewed by the many flying insects, and quite delirious.  Not a place or time I would wish to be stuck with what was staring me in the eyes. I did however manage to lift my camera to my eyes …… and what seemed to be a very slow motion movie, I gained my composure and quickly snap a  few pictures .………

To be continued……