When my husband announces his intention to knock me off balance and into an unstable boat in water full of lizards, I put my foot down. I am prepared for almost any type of navigation. However, if I’m going to be in alligator territory, I’d rather not swim. Not that I have ever capsized a canoe, but there is always a first time.
Just north of Charleston, South Carolina, traverse miles of waterways that once formed a vast system of canals. Now set aside as a wildlife sanctuary and dubbed Old Santee Canal Park, the area is home to great egrets, little blue herons, water moccasins, and many, many alligators. Trails wind around marshy ponds and through humid forests and wide trails that provide safe passage over wet, green bogs and swamps. I long for exploration and will happily go for a walk, but I have no intention of getting up close and personal with a prehistoric green leviathan.
We agreed to put boating on the back burner and explore the reserve from the safety of the boardwalk. Cyprus and sycamore trees tower overhead and pink mallow blooms in the swamp. I take note of my surroundings, mentally catalog the flora, and occasionally stop to see what fauna I can see in the tangled undergrowth. A black and yellow garden spider watches over its territory, its body hanging upside down in a zippered web. A monarch butterfly crosses my path. I look over the railing to follow his progress and there, in the reeds below me, lies a four-foot alligator. His eyes are black and his skin is the color of duck grass. I am overcome. Not with fear, look, with amazement. He looks so ancient, like a creature from the earth that time forgot. Suddenly, I can’t get into that canoe fast enough.
We make a quick march back to the interpretive center and, for five dollars, we rent a boat. Within minutes, we were scrambling up and pushing into the murky water.
Ospreys watch us from treetop nests and great blue herons hunt for mosquito fish in the shallows. Box turtles and yellow-bellied turtles bask on floating logs. We paddle to the far reaches of the canal system where wild rice grows and Spanish moss drips from the trees.
The channel narrows and we navigate carefully under a low green bridge. The air is still and warm and tickles my nose. I scan the shoreline for telltale alligator slides. And then we see him, a ten-foot beauty sleeping on the shore. I can’t help it; I want to get closer. We row once, hard, we take the paddles out of the water and we enter in silence. The reptile opens its eyes and, apparently not happy with our intrusion into its siesta, shifts its massive weight, launches into the water, and swims right under our canoe. I could easily touch it. My heart races. I am delighted and terrified. And then, just like that, it’s gone.
It’s not until later that I find out that alligators jump. We should never have ventured so close to that old man’s domain. I was afraid of capsizing my canoe and landing in his territory. In hindsight… I’m glad it didn’t land on mine.
PLEASE INFORMATION
Old Santee Canal Park is located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, just ½ hour north of Charleston. The park includes hiking trails, viewing platforms, a boardwalk, canoe rentals, an interpretive center, a picnic shelter, a learning center, and the Berkley Museum. There are also a lot of activities. It is open all year from 9 am to 5 pm (the Interpretation Center closes at 4:30). The cost is only $3 per person and children under 6 are free.
Old Santee Canal Park is not only a great place to see wildlife firsthand, but it’s also home to Stony Landing Plantation, a beautiful 18th-century home furnished with reproduction period furniture. Open for visits every day.
Dine on the canal at Gilligan’s Sea Food Restaurant in Monck’s Corner (just minutes from Old Santee Canal Park), where you’ll not only find the best hush-puppies on the planet, but you can also feast on local, farm-raised shrimp. sustainable and recycle oyster shells. . Yes, they replant the shells in the oyster beds, helping to ensure cleaner water and happy eating for generations to come. Open from 11 am to 9 pm and from 11 am to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.