Everglades - Chokoloskee

10,000 Island, Everglades

It is just before sunrise and I am sitting in a parking lot outside the hardware store in Everglades City, Florida. I am meeting a boat captain to take me out to the 10,000 Islands which are mostly deserted beaches, water and mangrove trees, some of which are growing on oyster beds....These islands date back quite some time, some as far back as 3,500 years. Eerie place at best...

Today this body of water is very calm except for the sound of our motor and the wake produced by the boat - not a sound except for what my mind tells me is an alligator  - and visually just the twilight starting to peak out on the horizon -

So we motor out for about one half hour and Captain Ray stops the boat, looks at me and tells me this is the spot, get out of the boat. I mean we are in the middle of nowhere and he is telling me to get out of the boat - I hesitate - he says you will miss the sunrise if you don't get out now - I am thinking miss the sunrise', what about the alligators and anacondas I have heard so much about?

Long story short I get out of the boat and find myself standing on an oyster bed - the water is maybe 2 feet deep and I can see down to the bed - Captain Ray hands me my tripod and drifts his boat out in the water (out of my camera view) telling me he will come back in 30 minutes to pick me.....of course I am always looking over my shoulder to make sure he is still there - and of course he is floating about smoking a cigarette and eating breakfast....business as usual for Ray....

After a few minutes I become comfortable with this and fire away at the sunrise for maybe 20 minutes....when I turn around the image above was waiting.....the moon setting behind me....

What an amazing experience this was - of course I spent the rest of the day jumping out of the boat on many of the islands feeling a bit fearless after that sunrise experience....WOW.....