Cruising the St. John’s River

While we were in Florida we got to cruise along the St. John’s River on a pontoon boat.  It was AWESOME!

Before we even got away from the dock, there were things to see, like other boats heading out.

There was also a little blue heron feeding in the grasses by the dock.

We traveled towards Blue Spring State Park, a designated manatee refuge. It’s a favorite winter hang-out (mid-November through March) of these West Indian Manatees, since the waters stay nice and warm at 73 degrees.

It’s also the largest spring on the St. Johns River.  Although we got a glimpse or two of manatees in the river, we never got a clear enough look to make a worthwhile picture. Maybe next time!

There were lots of birds in the trees though.

And every once in a while we saw a bright splash of color from flowers growing among the trees and grasses.

We got really excited when we saw our first alligator.

Cruising along we saw great reflections in the water from the trees and sky.

Then we got even more excited when we saw another alligator, bigger than the first one we saw!

There were herons and other birds almost everywhere we looked.

But the BIGGEST thrill of the day was seeing this HUMONGOUS GATOR!

No way we could top that!  All in all, it was a great day of cruising! And a great part of our relatives world to visit!

Tagged as: alligators, Farm Flowers, wildlife