Echoes in the Mist

Alligator, Okefenokee Swamp

Here’s a place I have heard about my whole life. Catchy name. I got to visit it this past November, and it is as unusual and quirky as it’s name…and far more exotic and beautiful than I had ever imagined.

The Okefenokee Swamp is a peat-filled wetland that straddles the U.S. Georgia-Florida border. A vast and shallow bog, it covers nearly a half-million acres (177,000 ha). In ancient times it was part of the ocean floor.

Cresser Prairie, Okefenokee Swamp

There are hiking trails, a self-guided auto tour, an observation tower, camping, and more. But being on the water is decidedly the best way to experience the Okefenokee.  You can rent boats, take your own out, or pay for a boat tour.

We took the guided 90-minute boat tour, and it was excellent.

Alligators peered out from beneath the water’s surface.

Alligator

Pond-cypress trees and Suwannee Channel

It…

This 6 January 2020 video says about itself:

How to Identify Individual Whales

Through a number of clues, wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill is determined to find the whale that breached on his kayak in a viral moment.

This July 2017 video is called A Jaguar Family in Belize.

From the University of Bristol in England:

Protecting two key regions in Belize could save threatened jaguar, say scientists

January 6, 2020

Scientists studying one of the largest populations of jaguars in Central Belize have identified several wildlife corridors that should be protected to help the species survival. The study, led by the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Bristol and published in BMC Genetics, provide a new insight into where conservation efforts should be concentrated.

Jaguars are top predators inhabiting large areas of Belize’s tropical forests and have a vast range spanning thousands of square miles. However, high deforestation rates for large-scale agricultural development and a constantly changing landscape mean jaguars are under increased threat and now listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN red list of threatened species.

Dr Angelica Menchaca…

These four videos are about great grey owls in Sweden.

In the stark desert landscape,

The Inn at Death Valley

is an oasis

transforming the desert

into a tropical paradise

bursting with life.

Cheers to you from The Oasis at Death Valley~

Note: The Oasis Inn at Death Valley was built in 1927.

This 27 December 2019 video from California in the USA says about itself:

MBARI [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute] Top 10: A treasure trove of bizarre, interesting, and wondrous encounters in 2019

From an exceedingly rare deep-sea whalefish to an adorable panda bear sea butterfly to a sunken fishing boat, MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have encountered a treasure trove of bizarre, interesting, and wondrous sights in 2019! As we continue to explore the largest and least known habitat on Earth, we promise to share our discoveries with you.

Featured in this video in order of appearance:

• Flabby whalefish (Family Cetomimidae) at 1,665 meters in Monterey Bay.
• Hydroid coiling (Family Candelabridae) at 3,976 meters offshore Big Sur.
• Redhead larvacean (Mesochordaeus erythrocephalus) at 2,965 meters in Monterey Bay.
• Octopus Garden (Muusoctopus sp.) at 3,191 meters near Davidson Seamount.
• Panda bear pteropod (

This 27 December 2019 video about emperor penguins says about itself:

How Does Huddling Help Penguins Stay Warm? | BBC Earth

The centre of a penguin huddle can reach temperatures of up to 37 degrees C! How exactly does piling in help these snow animals stay so warm?

This 16 December 2019 video says about itself:

Sloths are the slowest mammal on the planet. But as strange as they seem the sloth is perfectly adapted to their environment and is actually slow for a very important reason. In fact, sloths are far from boring and are a lot more extreme than it seems. With an ecosystem on their backs, which scientists believe may even be capable of curing cancer. They even risk their lives to poop and when they do, they make it count, pooping over 30% of their body weight.