I love the Okefenokee – deep, dark, mysterious. Up until two years ago I had never been to the Okefenokee in spite of growing up in Georgia and traveling through the area many times. Eager to learn more, I visited the swamp – and subsequently have made a number of visits to understand the swamp, the wildlife, the people, and how to photograph such a strange and foreign environment. And I wanted to share the swamp with others – most of which had not visited the swamp either.
Our workshop visit to the Okefenokee is just a single day because time is limited. The first thing you need to understand is the swamp if filled with water – and there is very little land to explore. That means the best way to see the swamp is by small motorized boat or canoe. If possible, a canoe is the best way to see the Okefenokee because you are able to navigate the shallow waters and visit areas that cannot be accessed by motorized boat. A canoe also gives you the best chance to see wildlife.
We meet our guide at the swamp a half an hour before sunrise. That meant a very early start. We wanted to be the first into the swamp and catch the mist on the water. If possible, we’re looking for a little color in the sky. Our morning trip will head out the Sewanee Canal into a swamp prairie with lots of wildlife and blooming flowers. We’ll be on the water for 4-5 hours – and just one stop so we had to watch the coffee.
The Sewanee Canal was a classic folly of man. Around 1900 investors bought land in the swamp, and made plans to drain the water so the land could be developed. Crews worked to cut a channel into the swamp. Can you imagine the conditions? Luckily for us, their efforts failed as the channel allowed water to drain into the swamp rather than out. The ecological disaster was avoided. Even luckier is that the channel today provides ready access to go deep into the swamp. The fight against development is not completely over. Within the past few years, additional land has been purchased to protect the swamp from mining mineral deposits in the area, but the swamp remains at risk.
The first thing you notice is how still the water is early in the morning. There is no wind. We don’t see any animals yet but can hear the birds in the distance – woodpeckers, sandhill cranes, warblers, and a host of others. A huge great blue heron is startled by our presence and flies ahead – broad wings seeming to touch both sides of the tree lined canal. Wildlife is everywhere – but it is truly wild and better seen from a distance. And there are chances to see wildlife up close – for example, the 7 foot long alligator sunning itself on the edge of the canoe trail only a few feet from our canoe. We closed the day with a second trip into the swamp – this time for sunset on the prairie.
Eric Bowles Images 
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