Trip report....Silver Springs and river April 2015
You think you've seen it all and then along comes serendipity and throws you a curve. (or several).. I started out early, at the head spring. I wanted to get down river ahead of other paddlers, so I could have the river to myself. The river is about the size of the Platte and is a wild and protected river...No swimming, fishing. The spring puts out 500 million gallons of water a day and thus a nice current. I three hours I saw not one piece of man made litter....
Half an hour down river I could hear all kinds of thrashing in the trees along the bank, and see a cascade of foliage into the water???? NEVER expected this
They are Rhesus monkeys that escaped from some Tarzan film sets back in the 40's. They are free range and not fed or contained. Talk about your invasive species..
My other fun encounter was with two bull alligators. I was well up stream of them. The breeding season is on and the two of them were roaring at one another from opposite banks. Their roar is just plain unreal. You can hear it for a mile or so and it is visceral and primeval. I had a real gut reaction to it. (and could feel the vibration through the hull) They just fussed at each other for 10 minutes and them went back to sunning themselves. The bull below is about 14 feet. (kayak 15 feet)
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Male Wood duck Belted Kingfisher 
THe attack of the killer Sunfish
Off to the Green Swamp in a few days and hopefully more fun encounters. Jay
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