Ginny & Dean's Excellent Adventures:Swiming with Anhingas

Dean & Ginny's excellent adventures, a series of fortunate events...

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Swimming With Anhingas!!

Dana Stibolt, swimming with an Anhinga,
a fishing water bird.

Over Easter break 2005, Dana, Christa, Weber & Olivia Stibolt came from Maryland to escape the chilly spring weather and we all went to Rainbow River near the Gulf coast of northern Florida.

We rented canoes at K P Hole, a county park, and paddled 1.5 miles up close the headwaters, where there is a series of crystal clear springs and an old state park. Then we jumped in the water with our snorkel gear and floated back down the river to the put-in spot, K P Hole. It was an adventure that could have been titled, "Swimming With Anhingas."

The water was 72 chilly degrees and those shorty wetsuits were not quite enough protection, but everyone did great. Dean took all the pictures.

Oliva Stibolt and Gramma Ginny
Olivia & Gramma Ginny

Christa, Weber & Ginny Stibolt

It was interesting to watch the Anhingas swimming around looking for fish. When they get lucky, they spear their prey, take them to the surface, flip them off their sharp beaks, and swallow the whole thing down their long necks.

<- A male Anhinga looking for fish lurking in the grasses. You can see how much current there is by how much the grass bends.

A female Anhinga with its buff colored ->
neck and belly is taking a breather from her fishing duties.

We also saw a Cormorant, another water bird, diving with us.

Besides the birds, we saw several species of turtles and fish. Below is a good sized Large-mouth Bass. To the right is a small school of Sunfish.

Dana closely inspecting the bottom

Until next time we have the memories

Dana inspects the bottom. There are a number of deeper pits where more springs add to the volume of the Rainbow River.

Until next time we savor the memories.

Click here to see our visit to the Rainbow River State Park.

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