Photograph by David Walter Banks
Before Richard Rhodes became an interpretive naturalist who searches for swamp critters, he made a living hunting them. As an invasive species hunter in South Florida, Rhodes honed his understanding of cold-blooded reptiles to cull overgrown populations of non-native animals, such as green iguanas and Argentine black-and-white tegus. It was important conservation work, but Rhodes got burned out killing things every day. In 2021, he headed back to the Okefenokee Swamp, the beloved landscape of his childhood—he grew up an hour away—to lend his expertise as a guide with Okefenokee Adventures.
“Subconsciously, my whole life, I’ve always compared wherever I ended up to the Okefenokee, because I fell in love with it as a kid,” says Rhodes. “No other place has ever fully matched up.”
As an expert in reptiles, Rhodes has endless enthusiasm for the Okefenokee’s star attraction: Alligator mississippiensis, the famed American alligator, which numbers as many as 15,000 inside the swamp. But part of his job is to help visitors see beyond these photogenic apex predators and appreciate the full wonder of the Okefenokee and the thousands of species that call it home.
“People come expecting it to be an alligator-heavy zoo,” Rhodes says. “I just tell them that while the alligators are impressive animals, they’re not the only reason to love this place.”
The Okefenokee is a 400,000-acre freshwater swamp. Its name derives from a term in a local Indigenous language—likely Creek or Hitchiti—that is frequently translated to “land of the trembling earth.” Beneath its shallow, tannin-darkened water, the spongy ground, called peat, is made of layers of decomposing plants and trees. Peat, which can build up to 15 feet in depth, forms large floating islands known as batteries: They are deceptively solid until one steps on them and experiences the “trembling earth” for which the swamp is named.
Inside the Okefenokee, an array of native flora and fauna has adapted to the swamp’s varied ecosystems. In wide-open prairies, pickerelweed and pitcher plants reach toward the sun, while white-tailed deer bound across batteries to nibble sedges and white water lily. In the dense cypress forests toward the west, bears hunt for black gum fruit, and barred owls wing quietly through Spanish moss. The swamp courts more than 200 species of birds, from the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker to elegant sandhill cranes, and scores of different reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mammals.
Rhodes begins his boat tours explaining the swamp’s history and its fascinating hydrology; with no rivers feeding it, the Okefenokee is replenished entirely by rainwater. From there, he lets the swamp guide him, tailoring his narrative to give detailed information on the animals and the plants they see along the way. “It changes radically day to day, and depending on where we go,” says Rhodes.
After two years on the job, Rhodes has collected some memorable animal encounters. Some concern alligators, of course: “I once had a 10-foot alligator come up next to the boat and use his tail to throw a tidal wave of water over everyone,” he chuckles. “Another time we had an alligator mugging—one jumped out of the water, grabbed a woman’s purse off a bench, and swam away with it.” (He stresses the Okefenokee alligators are not a threat to humans: “Since the refuge was established in 1937, there has never been a single reported attack on a human.”)
But those aren’t even Rhodes’ favorite sightings. Twice now, he’s seen adult leucistic turtles, born with a condition similar to albinism that makes them pure white—extremely rare in the wild, since their lack of camouflage makes them easy targets for predators. Once, he was lucky enough to see a dead alligator being devoured by the gigantic Suwannee snapping turtle that lives near Okefenokee Adventures’ boat launch. The 130-pound turtle is estimated to be older than the Suwannee Canal, dug into the swamp by a logging company in the late 19th century. “He’s so massive you can hear him breathing,” Rhodes says.
But for all that he’s seen, Rhodes, like all visitors to the Okefenokee, has barely skimmed the surface. “We have 120 miles of trails, and that only encompasses 2 percent of the swamp,” he says. “Part of my job is helping people recognize how vast it is and how impressive.”
Insider Tips
When to Go
For the best bird-watching and reptile activity, go in March: Migratory birds from Central and South America travel through the swamp then, and warmer weather means more movement from cold-blooded reptiles including snakes, turtles, and, of course, alligators.
Where to Eat
ThaiSmile Folkston; if it’s in season, order the hot honey ginger tea.
Pro Tip
An overnight canoe trip takes you deeper into the swamp and gives you access to some of the best stargazing in Georgia; venture out on your own, or book a guided overnight tour with Okefenokee Adventures, which provides food and camping supplies.
EXPLORE NEARBY
Courtesy of Southern Forest World Museum
Waycross
“Stuckie turns 70 years old this year: That’s our mummified dog who was discovered in a chestnut oak tree by loggers in 1980 and donated to the museum in 1981. We think he got stuck while chasing raccoons about 20 years before that, and the acidic tannins in the chestnut oak mummified and perfectly preserved him. Of course, he’s 70 in human years—in dog years he’s actually 490.” – Bertha Dixon, Director
This article appears in our March 2026 issue.
